Piotr is past familiarity by now with the necessities of war. He knows Lakshmi is, too. So rather than offering sympathy, condolences, comfort, he merely nods and murmurs, "I understand."

Her question does bring the slightest hesitation, and then Piotr tilts his head to the side slightly in a vague sort of shrug gesture. "Olivia and I have yet to have children. Ordinarily by now, five years is plenty of time to bear an heir and a few others, but..." But war, really. He does let out a terse sigh, more a long breath through his nose as he stirs his groats. "I'm sure you can imagine. Our situation is hardly stable, let alone hospitable to a pregnant woman. Many women bear children during war time, of course -- but as you know, Olivia spent the majority of her childhood on Beta Colony, where the majority of children are incubated in their uterine replicator devices, which -- as she is so fond of telling me -- pose much less risk to both mother and child than a body birth."

If he sounds a little suspicious and dismissive of this technology, that's because he is. Galactics.

"Obviously, we have no access to such devices on Barrayar, which, as I am given to believe, require much technical knowledge and maintenance. But I certainly sympathize with my wife's desire to live through her first pregnancy."