abstract
| - The Council of Counts was a major part of the government of the planet Barrayar, serving as its upper house: it was composed of the 60 District Counts, who were themselves members of the Barrayaran Vor warrior-aristocratic class. The Council was also traditionally all-male, never officially having had a woman serve as a voting member (except for one time during the Time of Isolation when a woman was legally declared a man to enable her to serve as a count; there was later a "bizarre suit" regarding her marriage). The Council of Counts met in Vorhartung Castle, within Vorbarr Sultana, the capital of Barrayar and the Barrayaran Imperium, and often in joint session with the Council of Ministers. The ruling Vorbarra Emperor presided over Council meetings. During Council sessions, order was maintained by the "Lord Guardian of the Circle"; during the timespan covered by the Vorkosigan Saga, he was sometimes known to obey hand-signalled suggestions from Count Aral Vorkosigan. Miles Vorkosigan was heir to the seat in the Council of Counts held by his father Aral Vorkosigan until Aral's death at the end of Cryoburn. In post-Memory books, Miles often substituted for his father in Council meetings due to Aral serving as Imperial Viceroy of the planet Sergyar.
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