History TearJerker / VorkosiganSaga

* The part in ''Barrayar'' when Cordelia nearly dies giving birth to Miles, and Aral admits he hasn't been so scared since he was eleven years old: which was when the [[TheCaligula old Emperor]] murdered his mother and brother in front of him.
* This part in ''Barrayar'', where Aral and Cordelia confront [[spoiler:Vorhalas]], who's just tried to murder them with poison gas:
-->"You missed me, [[spoiler:Evon]]." [[spoiler:Vorhalas]] spat in his face, spittle bloody from his injured mouth. Vorkosigan made no move to wipe it away. "You missed my wife," he went on in a soft slow cadence. "But you got my son. Did you dream of sweet revenge? You have it. Look at her eyes. A man could drown in those sea-grey eyes. I'll be looking at them every day for the rest of my life. So eat vengeance, [[spoiler:Evon]]. Drink it. Fondle it. Wrap it round you in the night watch. It's all yours. I will it all to you. For myself, I've gorged to the gagging point and lost my stomach for it."
* On the next page, [[spoiler:Evon]] is indeed forced to confront Cordelia directly.
--> "It wasn't the result I intended. I meant to kill him. I didn't even know for sure that you shared the same room at night." He was looking everywhere, now, except her face. "I never thought about killing your..."
--> "Look at me," she croaked, "and say the word out loud."
--> "Baby," he whispered, and burst into sudden, shocking sobs.
* Kareen's senseless death, and Cordelia's SanitySlippage afterward, burning the ''castle'' with an arc thrower, thinking that there could be no blaze large enough to be a suitable death offering for the dead princess.
* Really, most of the plot of ''Barrayar'' is potentially tear-jerky. There are so many babies and children in peril. This troper loves the book, but read it for the first time while pregnant with her firstborn son. Not recommended unless you like weeping openly on public transit.
* Admiral Lord Vorkosigan vs. General Count Vorkosigan in ''Barrayar''
--> '''Aral''': My home isn't a place, sir. It's a person. ''({{Beat}})'' People.
** To put that line in context, in an argument over whether or not to keep Aral's crippled (and as yet still unborn) son Miles, Aral is so angry with his father that Cordelia realizes it's the first time she's truly seen him in one of infamous rages, and Piotr is in the process of disowning Aral as much as he can; this is Aral's response to Piotr kicking him out of Vorkosigan House. He states how little a physical residence means to him...and reluctantly admits how much his father still does.
* After an assassination attempt, when Aral and Koudelka are stunned and can't hear very well, Aral reassures the perturbed Kou that it's only temporary. However, logically, the temporary deafness must recall Aral's traumatic childhood injury after his family's massacre. I can't recall now whether it was explicitly discussed in the text, but it was all I could think about.
* The part from ''The Warrior's Apprentice'' where Miles says he wants to make his life "an offering fit to lay at my father's feet":
--> '''Aral''': Clay, boy. Only clay. Not fit to receive so golden a sacrifice.
* The death of [[spoiler:Sergeant Bothari]] and the final remembering at the end of the book.

* The murderer in "The Mountains of Mourning" is a thoroughly unpleasant old woman. But while interrogated under [[TruthSerum fast-penta]], she bursts into tears at one point, saying to Miles, "Damn you! What use is your justice to me ''now''? I needed it then ... where were you ''then''?" The implication that back when this nasty harridan was a young mother, she, too, would've been ''overjoyed'' to be told she didn't have to [[spoiler:kill three of her babies]]....

* Really, most of the plot of Barrayar is potentially tear-jerky. There are so many babies and children in peril. This troper loves the book, but read it for the first time while pregnant with her firstborn son. Not recommended unless you like weeping openly on public transit.

* Kareen's senseless death, and Cordelia's SanitySlippage afterward, burning the ''castle'', thinking that there could be no blaze large enough to be a suitable DeathOffering for the dead princess.

** It is at this point Cordelia realizes she's no longer Betan, but full Barrayaran.

* In ''Barrayar,'' five-year-old Gregor at his mother's funeral asking Cordelia, "Are they going to kill me, too?" with morbid curiosity.

--> '''Aral''': My home isn't a place, sir. It's a person. [[Beat]] People.

* The death of [[spoiler:[[HeroicSociopath Sergeant Bothari]]]] and the final remembering at the end of the book.

* On the next page, [[spoiler:Evon]] is indeed forced to confront Coredelia directly.

* There's a poignant moment in ''Barrayar'' where Cordelia, who's always wanted children, is gleefully anticipating the large number of them she can have now she doesn't have to worry about the 'two child only' law of Beta Colony. After reading this part, it's both heart wrenching and heart warming that she refuses to have any more children and gives up her dream of a large family, for love of her son (any younger siblings would be a candidate for heir, and thus put Miles' life in jeopardy).

* Ivan's birthday in ''Captain Vorpatril's Alliance''. Thirty-five years of starting off every birthday burning an offering for his father in the middle of a Vorbarr Sultana street. Not just a tear-jerker for him, either - his mother got to relive the horror of her husband's death, her son's traumatic birth, and her narrow escape every year for thirty-five years...

* There's a poignant moment in ''Barrayar'' where Cordelia, who's always wanted children, is gleefully anticipating the large number of them she can have now she doesn't have to worry about the 'two child only' law of Beta Colony. After reading this part, it's both heart wrenching and heart warming that she refuses to have any more children and giving up her dream of a large family, for love of her son.

** And bear in mind that this is one of Miles' worst case scenarios - [[spoiler:that he would not be there for his father's death. "He dreaded the day that some stiff faced messenger would begin by addressing him as ''"Count Vorkosigan, sir?"''" And then along comes Colonel Edwin Vorventa...]] Excuse me, I gotta go compose myself.

* Even though he gets better, Mile's last thoughts before getting killed are "Wait, I haven't...", which is heartbreaking when you consider his BackStory.

* Even though [[IGotBetter he gets better]], Mile's last thoughts before getting killed are "Wait, I haven't...", which is heartbreaking when you consider his BackStory.

* Even though [[IGotBetter he gets better]], Mile's last thoughts before getting killed as "Wait, I haven't...", which is heartbreaking when you consider his BackStory.

* The murderer in "The Mountains of Mourning" is a thoroughly unpleasant old woman. But while interrogated under [[TruthSerum fast-penta]], she bursts into tears at one point, saying to Miles, "Damn you! What use is your justice to me ''now''? I needed it then ... where were you ''then''?" The implication that back when this nasty harridan was a young mother, she, too, would've been ''overjoyed'' to be told she didn't have to [[spoiler:kill three of her babies]]....

** And bear in mind that this is one of Miles' worst case scenarios - [[spoiler:that he would not be there for his father's death. "He dreaded the day that some stiff faced messanger would begin by addressing him as ''"Count Vorkosigan, sir?"''" And then along comes Colonel Edwin Vorventa...]] Excuse me, I gotta go compose myself.
* The murderer in "The Mountains of Mourning" is a thoroughly unpleasant old woman. But while interrogated under [[TruthSerum fast-penta]], she bursts into tears at one point, saying to Miles, "Damn you! What use is your justice to me ''now''? I needed it then ... where were you ''then''?" The implication that once this nasty harridan was a young mother who would've been overjoyed to hear she ''didn't'' have to [[spoiler:kill three of her babies]]....

* And from the last epilogue, when [[spoiler:people object to Emperor Gregor being a pallbearer for Aral's casket, his response is, "The man has carried me since I was five years old. It's my turn."]]
** And bear in mind that this is one of Miles' worst case scenarios - that he would not be there for his father's death. "He dreaded the day that some stiff faced messanger would begin by addressing him as ''"Count Vorkosigan, sir?"''" And then along comes Colonel Edwin Vorventa. . . Excuse me, I gotta go compose myself.