Ekaterin turned down his marriage proposal, writing a letter to her brother and in-laws warning them that Miles was coming after her, and even interrogating Nikolai about the events on Komarr, causing Miles to arrange for Nikolai to meet with Gregor himself to explain how his father had died. Ekaterin is drawn more and more to Miles, particularly after the elegant and heartfelt letter of apology she received from him after the dinner party. Matters come to a head the night before the vote on both Lord Dono's and Count René's claims to their districts. When hired thugs attempt to neuter Dono—literally—Ivan and Olivia Koudelka foil the plan, and gather enough evidence to present Richars's involvement in the plot to several other conservative counts, who are furious not that he tried, but that the plan failed, and he was publicly implicated. At the same time, Ekaterin's brother and brother-in-law arrive at the Vorthys home, and attempt to take Nikolai with them, protesting that he isn't safe in the capital city. Nikolai calls Gregor for help, resulting in everyone being taken to Vorhartung Castle, where the Council of Counts is in session. Gregor clears up the misunderstanding regarding Miles and lets Ekaterin, Nikolai, and her relatives watch the rest of the proceedings. With several counts switching sides, Lord Dono is confirmed, and Richars is arrested, but not before he tries to goad Ekaterin into renouncing Miles. Stunned by his audacity, Ekaterin asks Miles to marry her instead, undermining Richars's plans completely. By the narrowest of margins, René Vorbretten is also upheld as the count for his district. While this is all going on, parole officers from Escobar come into Vorkosigan House to arrest Enrique on charges of fraud and grand theft, as it seems the butter bugs weren't quite his property, having been confiscated by his investors, and liberated, along with Enrique, by Mark. The two officers face the determined wrath of Kareen and Martya Koudelka, however, who pelt them with tubs of bug butter until they can get Enrique back and lock and barricade the laboratory door from the officers. Miles arrives home to find Enrique about to be hauled off to Escobaran jail, and frees him using another loophole in the Barrayaran bureaucracy maze. With all obstacles cleared, Emperor Gregor's wedding goes off without a hitch, the first commercial butter bug product, maple ambrosia, is a smash hit at the reception, and the recolored butter bugs themselves, styled by Ekaterin and renamed Glorious Bugs, are also a success. After initial reluctance, the Koudelka parents, with help from Countess Vorkosigan, come to an arrangement with Mark and Kareen. Ivan, unfortunately, still hasn't found anyone to settle down with, as one of his last hopes, Olivia Koudelka, is engaged to Lord Dono. And Miles has won the heart of Ekaterin, but now has to leap from the wedding ceremony of his foster brother Gregor into a mission perhaps even more dire—planning his own.
"Winterfair Gifts"
Published in Irresistible Forces, 2004
In the hectic days leading up to Miles and Ekaterin's wedding, Armsman Roic is still trying to get over his mortal embarrassment at meeting his lord's future bride in less-than-flattering circumstances—wearing nothing but his boots, briefs, and about five pounds of bug butter. That had been courtesy of the scuffle he had gotten into several months earlier, protecting Doctor Borgos from Escobaran bounty hunters. Still feeling guilty over his role in the debacle, he attends to his duties as a stream of important visitors arrive at Vorkosigan House for the upcoming wedding. Among them is the genetically modified Sergeant Taura, whom Roic is assigned to accompany during an appointment to get her properly attired for the ceremony, courtesy of Alys Vorpatril. Despite a minor incident with a child at tea afterward, the day goes well, but Roic's inadvertent disparagement of the genetically modified butter bugs falls harshly upon Taura's ears. Also, the bride has been ill for the several days leading up to the wedding, and Roic isn't