The Vorkosigan Companion - Lillian Stewart Carl [217]
Miles is 29— Memory
Miles hits thirty; thirty hits back.
Miles is 30—Komarr
Emperor Gregor dispatches Miles to Komarr to investigate a space accident, where he finds old politics and new technology make a deadly mix.
Miles is 30— A Civil Campaign
The Emperor's wedding sparks romance and intrigue on Barrayar, and Miles plunges up to his neck in both.
Miles is 32— Diplomatic Immunity
Miles and Ekaterin's honeymoon journey is interrupted by an Auditorial mission to Quaddiespace, where they encounter old friends, new enemies, and a double handful of intrigue.
800 Years in Barrayaran and Galactic Human History
60 Years in Barrayaran and Galactic Human History
APPENDIX III
A Brief Guide to Barrayaran Genealogy
Some Barrayaran Genealogy
Suford Lewis
This article specifically attempts to address two matters: the problem of the Imperial succession and the problem of the Imperial madness. Both of these color the history of Aral Vorkosigan and his family. For this purpose there are three important family lines: the Vorkosigans with their linkages to the Vorrutyers, Vorbarras, and Vorpatrils; the Vorbarras leading to the current Emperor; and the Vorpatrils with their connection to the Vorbarras.
In Shards of Honor it is mentioned that Dorca inherited the Imperium through his mother's line and in Barrayar it is mentioned that his great-uncle had his stables built in a particular place in the Imperial Residence, giving his relationship to the old Vorbarra line more specifically. Since he inherited through his mother, his surname was probably not Vorbarra, though he undoubtedly took that name as Emperor. On the other hand, Ezar apparently was a Vorbarra and some kind of cousin to Dorca.
On his deathbed in Shards of Honor, Emperor Ezar says there are five men with better claims than his by blood to be Emperor. Aral Vorkosigan heads this list. Vidal Vordarian, Padma Vorpatril, Lord Vortaine, and Count Vordrozda are the four others. Since Ezar says their claims are better than his, they must be more directly related either to Emperor Dorca or to the "true Vorbarra line" that Dorca replaced.
We know that Aral Vorkosigan and Padma Vorpatril are the grandsons of Prince Xav Vorbarra and Aral has the senior claim because his father married Xav's older daughter. We also know that Mad Emperor Yuri did his best to murder anyone with any claim to the Imperium and that this eliminated Aral's mother, brother, and sister along with numerous others.
Yuri certainly noticed that Aral and Padma stood in relation to him exactly as Dorca had stood to the previous emperor. We don't know about any brothers or sisters Padma may have had, only that none survived Yuri's Massacre. We know Aral's uncle, Xav's son, was also killed. So, although Aral may claim Salic Law bars him from the Imperium, this is a legalistic argument that has had little practical force in the past.
In The Warrior's Apprentice Miles Vorkosigan mentions that Ivan Vorpatril, his second cousin, is his heir. Likewise, Ivan is very aware of Lord Vortaine as heir to his title and of Count Vordrozda as heir to Lord Vortaine. Indeed, Miles works out that this relationship is Count Vordrozda's motivation for charging him with treasonous intent in raising an armed force and for Admiral Hessman sending Ivan with the doomed courier supposedly sent to fetch Miles to answer this charge. It is also mentioned that Lord Vortaine's daughter, unmarried and fiftyish, would get her father's money but Count Vordrozda would get any title. This makes it obvious that Lord Vortaine has no sons. Vordrozda's maneuverings are aimed eventually at the Imperium. Since Ivan is not that close in line for the Vorpatril countship, what other title could be relevant? It is the Vorbarra heritage that is of interest relative to Lord Vordrozda.
What can we figure out about Lord Vortaine? As heir to Ivan, he must relate into Ivan's line to Prince Xav through a daughter of Xav younger than Ivan's grandmother or a daughter of Dorca.