It was striking, that line about how it hurt more than she'd expected. And the part where she mockingly tells him to go die in some glorious battle-you can hear the sarcasm.

However, I don't think his affair with Ges started until after her death, as a response to the vile rumors that he killed her. In his own words he gave them more to talk about, stunned them into silence. The pain, isolation, idiocy of his youth and surely the alcohol rendered him susceptible to Ges's desires. And maybe the loneliness. But before that, surely he'd been far too typically Barryaran to consider such a relationship?

And to think that he could be such a hypocrite, to be mad over her affairs as he had his own? It doesn't seem likely, I always thought he was angry because he felt he had the high-ground on this particular issue.

Still, it was definitely a fic that makes clearly tells you what she feels, what she sees. I thought her own loneliness was very subtly and yet clearly shown, well done.

Oh yeah, I can see it! Poor Aral, the man was such a moron for about the first 40 years of his life; at least he improved with age, but naturally he never figured it out. Barrayarans!

Oh, how horrible.

I mean that in a good way, of course - you really capture how horrible it is.

Excellent (there are times when I think Count Piotr found out and er, arranged things, but this could have happened this way as well).