Thirty Days of Drabbles - Day Twenty-Seven

[jeriendhal]

For avanti_90 's prompt of "A post-Cryoburn drabble from a character other than the five who got drabbles in the book."



Gregor had sent a lightflyer, just for Nikolai, to take him from school halfway across the continent to Vorkosigan Surleau. When it landed his mother met him at the door.

"Do they know yet?" he asked

"Yes," she replied. "I let Aral Alexander finish sleeping before I told him. They'd wanted to wake him."

"When will Father know?"

"Soon." His mother hugged him. "Nikolai, Alex is Lord Vorkosigan now."

"I know. That's all right."

"Yes, but he's your little brother too. Don't let him forget that. Don't let them forget that either."

Nikolai straightened up. "I won't. Count on it."

Comments

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Both Nikki and Ekaterin. Thank you.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

But isn't he Alex?

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Eh? I don't think Nikki would be the next Lord Vorkosigan. One, I doubt he'd want the job, given his dreams (at least at age 8) of being a jump pilot, and two, he's not a blood relative, which Count Aral (and probably Miles) would strongly want for the position.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

No, what I meant was that Aral Alexander, as of CryoBurn, goes by Alex, not Aral.

I thoroughly agree with you that Nikki neither wants nor should have the title of Lord Vorkosigan.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll fix that. Thanks. :)