Liege relationships on Barrayar tended to be complex, with several levels of 'liegeness'. "Glad you made it, my lord."Miles slid into a station chair. "Me too. But please - just 'Mr. Naismith.' No 'my lord.'"Auson looked puzzled. "The others all call you that.""Yes, but, um - it's not just a courtesy. It denotes a specific legal relationship. You wouldn't call me 'my husband' even if you heard my wife do so, eh?" ―Auson learns what liege relationships are from Miles For the simplest answer: A liege lord was a person to whom another person had sworn a oath of allegiance.