The Vorkosigan Companion - Lillian Stewart Carl [193]
He appoints Miles as acting Imperial Auditor when Simon Illyan develops serious mental problems as a result of the failure of his memory chip, turning Miles loose to find out what happened, and who is responsible. He personally interviews General Lucas Haroche after his arrest, and solicits a full confession. Impressed with Miles's work on the case, he calls the other four active Imperial Auditors together to review it, and they all vote to offer Miles the permanent position of Imperial Auditor, with Gregor also promoting Miles retroactively to the rank of captain per his request.
After Miles returns from his mission to Komarr, Gregor surprises everyone by falling in love with a Komarran, Doctor Laisa Toscane, and asking her to marry him. While going through the amazing preparations for his wedding, Gregor makes time for a meeting with Nikolai Vorsoisson, the son of Etienne, in which he tells the boy as much of the truth of his father's death as can be allowed without compromising security. Later, he also puts Vassily Vorsoisson and Hugo Vorvayne straight as to Nikolai's safety, and assures them of the ludicrousness of Vormoncrief's plot against Miles. Gregor is safely and happily married to Laisa Toscane, and Gregor's heirs, Miles among them, breathe a sigh of relief and wish him many happy years, and even more healthy offspring. He interrupts Miles's own honeymoon to send his Imperial Auditor to sort out the problem of the Komarran trade fleet at Graf Station in Sector V. (All except EA, FF, SH)
Vorbarra, Kareen:
The wife of Prince Serg, after his death she becomes Princess Dowager, and mother of the new Emperor, Gregor. She is a thin, strained-looking woman of thirty with beautiful, dark hair. The strain is a result of her marriage—Crown Prince Serg was a monster—and the dynastic politics of the Imperium that threaten her life and that of her child every day. Kareen kisses Cordelia's hand when they first meet, thinking that she killed Ges Vorrutyer. She assigns Droushnakova as Cordelia's bodyguard when Cordelia admits to missing the bright women friends that were so dear to her back on Beta Colony. During Vordarian's failed attempt to take the Barrayaran throne, he claims Kareen as his wife to try to solidify his claim to power. After Cordelia proves to Kareen that Vordarian lied to her about Gregor's death during the coup, Kareen attempts to kill Vordarian. She is shot and killed by one of the Residence guards. (B)
Vorbarra, Laisa Toscane:
A woman Duv Galeni is seeing until Emperor Gregor becomes entranced by her and they become engaged to be married. She is short, a bit plump but attractively so, with brilliant blue-green eyes, glowing milky skin, a lovely face, and short, light brown hair with silvery blond highlights. She is a daughter of the Toscane family on Komarr, which cooperated with the Barrayaran conquest, and now holds a lot of influence on the planet. She is a trade lobbyist at Vorbarr Sultana, and has a doctorate in business theory. In an effort to court her, Gregor gives her a horse ride at their first private luncheon. She is appalled by some of the more traditional terms of the wedding contract, but Lady Alys helps reinterpret some old, embarrassing customs to put her more at ease. She marries Gregor, and becomes the Empress of Barrayar. Her family owns a fifty percent share of the Komarran trade fleet impounded at Graf Station in the Union of Free Habitats. (CC, DI, M, WG)
Vorbarra, Serg:
The son of Emperor Ezar, he is the crown prince of Barrayar, and the next in line to the throne. He is co-commander of the Barrayaran armada during its attempt to invade Escobar. He is about thirty years old, with a square