[ What a cruel joke, making me kneel, his mind jabbers at him. Barrayar had made him small, diminished him, quite literally, without him ever having set foot on it. And now he's swearing allegiance to that accursed, corrupt world of monsters and warlords and butchers. He's becoming one of them. No torture necessary. Just a few words.
When Galen comes, and he kills me, and he does it horribly, you'll feel it, Emperor Gregor. All of this is my revenge. That's mine on you.
But he struggles out of the chair. He's doing this. He's not backing out now. And yet he answers him - ]
I don't have a name.
[ It would have been perversely funny, demanding to be sworn in as Miles Naismith Vorkosigan - or how about Piotr Miles...But he doesn't quite have the stomach for that humor. So instead he just kneels. And lifts his hands. This is a mistake, this is a mistake, this is a mistake... ]
no subject
When Galen comes, and he kills me, and he does it horribly, you'll feel it, Emperor Gregor. All of this is my revenge. That's mine on you.
But he struggles out of the chair. He's doing this. He's not backing out now. And yet he answers him - ]
I don't have a name.
[ It would have been perversely funny, demanding to be sworn in as Miles Naismith Vorkosigan - or how about Piotr Miles...But he doesn't quite have the stomach for that humor. So instead he just kneels. And lifts his hands. This is a mistake, this is a mistake, this is a mistake... ]