History Heartwarming / VorkosiganSaga

--> "The next number up," he breathed, "is `one.' "
** In fact this scene made me feel the start of ''A Civil Campaign'' were totally redundant and out of character. If they're flirting this hard before then why do they regress back on Barrayar?
** Because Ekatarin was coming off her [[AdrenalineMakeover adrenaline high]]. After sober reflection, she'd decided that the risks of romantic involvements were too high. Was she deluding herself? Probably, but that was her rationale for backing off.

* The wedding planning scene in ''A Civil Campaign''. At first it just looks like charming domesticity, but then you realize: they're in the Green Silk Room. The very same room where thirty-some years ago Emperor Ezar Vorbarra and Lord Aral Vorkosigan were plotting how to murder Ezar's son and start an interstellar war to hide his corpse among. The inception point of "the most wasteful political assassination plot in Barrayaran history" has now become a peaceful place where Ezar's grandson and his fiancee happily work out the details of their wedding party and how soon they can bring new life into the world. And then it hits the reader; ''Barrayar has made it''. The barbaric, blood-soaked place that our heroes and their forebears have bled out their hearts and souls to try and save has indeed moved into the new era they'd always hoped for, a more peaceful and gentle age.

** To elaborate - [[spoiler: Mark is a clone of Miles created by enemies of the family to kill and replace Miles in order to get at Aral. Mark rebels and at the age of 21 or so is adopted into the family, well...yeah.]] In this scene, just two years later, a friend of Aral's starts complaining about "your son," and Aral's first reaction is to ask "which one?" To be sure, he'd ''deliberately'' referred to Mark that way before; ''this'' was totally offhand. Considering Kou ''was'' referring to Mark, it's doubly heartwarming.

** By the time Ekaterin finishes reading her letter she is a gently steaming puddle of emotional goo - and so is the female reader. Take note guys, ''that'' is how to write a love letter!

'''Soren:''' Uh.. yes?\\

* Miles' efforts to get Elena Visconti to acknowledge and meet her daughter, who was the product of rape. Visconti first regards Miles' pleads with suspicion and disgust, but his heartfelt offers finally melt her.
-->"Would it be so difficult, to do a few days-even a few minutes-of acting? I'm going to have to dip some Dendarii funds anyway to pay for a dead ship, and buy a lady a new face. I could make it worth your time."

* In ''Brothers in Arms'' Miles tells Mark that their grandfather tried to smother him in his cradle, he knows this because ''Piotr told him''. Consider the context; FourStarBadass General Count Piotr Vorkosigan confessed to his grandson he had ''been wrong about him''. That's heartwarming right down to the toes.
* When Miles first meets Mark - a clone he had no idea existed who, as far as he knows, is a willing part of the conspiracy to kill and replace him - his first response is to work out what Mark's name should be and call him brother. Even as Miles is being dragged away to be tortured:

* The unusual way Mark bonds with Aral in ''Mirror Dance'': he immediately tells him of how Ser Galen trained him in assassinating him, and was instructed him to make Aral think it was Miles who betrayed him as he died. Aral's response? To nod and critique the plot casually. This relaxes Mark and the two start their relationship with total honesty.
* It's tossed off so casually the reader barely notices on first take but Elena has brought her baby to make an offering at her father's grave. Sounds like she's gotten over her issues.
* Mark finds an unfamiliar name in the Vorkosigan's celebrated cemetary: Amor Klyeuvi. Kly the Mail got his just reward after decades of service and his role during Vordarian's Pretendership.
* When Baron Fell briefly becomes Georish Stauber and thanks Mark sincerely for helping him by killing his older brother (who tried to kill him). Later, Georish bids his sister goodbye after 80 plus years, reminiscing about escaping Ryoval together (through sewers no less). The farewells are edged, but still sincere.
-->'''Lilly:''' So this is the end of the road. The last of our blood-pact. Who would have imagined it, all those years ago, when we were climbing out of Ryoval’s sewers together?
-->'''Georish:''' Not I. ''(Georish and Lilly embrace one last time)'' Goodbye, Lilly.
-->'''Lilly:''' Goodbye, Georie.
* The ending, especially Cordelia's maternal smile of greed, since [[spoiler: she and Aral had the second child she'd always wanted but could never have had because of Miles' condition; a second male would have put "mutie" Miles in danger, since plots to make his ''brother'' the heir apparent to Vorkosigan House.]]

* Cordelia is in no mood to appreciate it but the fact her crew of divas voted unanimously to rescue her from 'The Butcher of Komarr' ''is'' rather touching. It's also pretty funny. Here she is comfortably ensconced in the best cabin mulling over an offer a marriage and here come her crew to 'rescue' her!
* From Shards Of Honor, Aral offering to give up Barrayar and move to Beta Colony as a judo instructor. While how serious he was about this is up for debate, the fact that he put enough thought into it to be able to name his probable career (and the fact that he might well have done it, had their situations been reversed) is pretty damned adorable and a testament to just how much he loved Cordelia, even from the first.
* Cordelia meets and falls in love with Aral, but they are on different sides of a war, and Aral is supposed to be a war criminal. She gets repatriated at the end of the war after being a POW. Her own people, in examining her for PTSD or adjustments find out her love of Aral. They think it's fake, and work to 'undo' the brainwashing. She does her own moment of awesome, escapes the security forces, and steals a ship to meet back with Aral.

* In ''The Vor Game'' is the description of how big, powerful, dangerous Admiral Count Aral Vorkosigan, back when he was Lord Regent (and absolute ruler) of the Barrayaran Empire, would take a two-hour lunch every day--short of any crisis less serious than actual war--race home, spend five minutes bolting down a sandwich, then spend an hour-and-a-half down on the floor with his little crippled son who couldn't walk yet, talking and playing games and reading out loud.

* Cordelia meets and falls in love with Aral, but they are on different sides of a war, and Aral is suppose to be a war criminal. She gets repatriated at the end of the war after being a POW. Her own people, in examining her for PTSD or adjustments find out her love of Aral. They think it's fake, and work to 'undo' the brainwashing. She does her own moment of awesome, escapes the security forces, and steals a ship to meet back with Aral.

* Emperor Gregor's words at [[spoiler:Aral Vorkosigan's]] funeral, as he moves to join the pallbearers and Lady Alys objects to the lese-majeste.

[[/foldercontrol]]