overture

[isthisart]

Nine days into their fourteen-day trip, the courier ship arrives in the Komarr system. Five more jumps to go. Miles is not yet capable of peeling himself off a willing Linya before he passes out (and willingness is in no short supply), and the resulting peculiar sleep schedule causes Ivan no end of giggling. Linya draws him diagrams of more complicated braids as aspirational goals (getting five and a half feet of slidy-soft hair to be in even the simplest braid properly is a little tricky), which induces Miles to spend most of a day fascinatedly braiding and rebraiding her hair in various configurations. She, meanwhile, writes pen software that eats standard comconsole software and renders it for pen-ability in what she thinks is a user-friendly manner, and works on Russian.

When they reach the Komarr system, there's a message squirt, bounced at lightspeed from the little ships that do nothing but dance back and forth from side to side of the intervening wormholes collecting and broadcasting data. It says that Captain Illyan invites Miles to supplement his mission report by bringing his wife along.

Comments

[thisvorlunatic]

"We don't plan to stop being married, if that's what you're driving at," interjects Miles. "I'm in this for the long haul."

[greatcomposure]

"I admit, I hadn't pictured you marrying so young. But I'm hardly going to object, as long as it's happily—?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"Positively ecstatic."

[greatcomposure]

Her gaze turns to Linya again.

[isthisart]

Linya smiles.

[greatcomposure]

Cordelia smiles back.

"I assume you're not planning to stay in your old room," she says to Miles. "I'd have had your things taken up to wherever you're going instead, if I knew where that was. Why don't you go make arrangements? Piotr's rooms seem like an obvious destination, if there's nowhere you'd like better. And meanwhile your wife can pick my brains about marrying into the Vor from offworld. If you'd like," she adds, to Linya again.

[isthisart]

"It seems like it would be prudent. On several occasions Miles has suggested that I apply to you for your perspective on this or that."

[greatcomposure]

"Perfect. Do come and sit down," she invites.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles kisses Linya's hand and marches off to deal with the luggage.

[isthisart]

Linya sits.

"...The things that Miles has referred me to you about include the oath-based social and political mores, how parents work in general - he is accustomed to describing himself in terms of peculiarities and not normalcies, it seems - and of course I would value your input on marrying into the Vor from offworld, at least insofar as Beta and Cetaganda may be held equivalent for the purpose."

[greatcomposure]

Cordelia sits too.

"I can definitely give you an outsider's perspective on the oath system. Mostly an outsider's perspective is that it looks completely insane... but everything manages to trundle along just the same. I'm afraid you'll have to ask me specific questions if you want specific answers, though. I am not quite oracular."

[isthisart]

"I have not seen enough individual examples of oaths to have detailed questions - though the idea of a second marriage ceremony in accordance with groat-related local traditions has been floated."

[greatcomposure]

The phrasing - 'groat-related' - surprises a giggle out of her.

"Has it? And did it swim, or sink?"

[isthisart]

"It has yet to definitively do either. I think I would want to look at the text of the promises involved rather than hearing them recounted in a fragmentary and editorialized fashion from memory, before deciding whether to recite them."

[greatcomposure]

"I'm sure I can dig you up a written copy from somewhere. What fragmentary and editorialized snippets did he give you?"

[isthisart]

"He forgot one of the pieces entirely and added a bit directed at hypothetical objectors. Included were phrases such as 'spouse and helpmeet', 'forsaking all others', 'united in love', 'giving aid where needed and accepting it where given'."

[greatcomposure]

"I can just imagine what he had to say to the hypothetical objectors," murmurs Cordelia.

[isthisart]

"It was not conciliatory."

[greatcomposure]

"He isn't, when something gets under his skin. Vorkosigan stubbornness."

[isthisart]

"Speaking of which - he was not able to give me much in the way of advice beyond being honest and direct, for when I meet your husband. Miles was confident that you would like me, and - less so about him."

[greatcomposure]

"I think," says Cordelia, "Miles was missing some relevant information. Aral is hardly in a position to complain about his son falling in love with a... quasi-enemy. Even if the Cetagandans are arguably less quasi- than the Betans, at least Barrayar isn't actively pursuing a war with anyone at the moment, and Miles didn't propose to you while you were his - very honourably treated, I must emphasize - illegally captured prisoner."

[isthisart]

"So you don't think it will be a problem?"

[greatcomposure]

"He might make some unhappy noises, but a few gentle reminders should set him straight. I will be happy to provide them."

[isthisart]

"Thank you."

[greatcomposure]

"Welcome to the family. Ah - what should I call you? I'm not sure what all the formalities are, let alone which ones I should be using. Or if I should be using any at all."