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jcmarchi · 2 months

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How free online courses from MIT can “transform the future of the world”

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How free online courses from MIT can “transform the future of the world”

From full introductory courses in engineering, psychology, and computer science to lectures about financial concepts, linguistics, and music, the MIT OpenCourseWare YouTube channel has it all — offering millions of learners around the world a pathway to develop new skills and broaden their knowledge base with free offerings from MIT educators.

“I believe OpenCourseWare and Open Learning resources will transform the future of the world for the better — in financial markets I know it already has,” says Michael Pilgreen, a sculptor, painter, and poet from Memphis, Tennessee, who discovered OpenCourseWare when he found himself unemployed in 2020 and used it to jumpstart a new career on Wall Street.

After watching several lectures about finance, computer science, programming, mathematics, and algorithms on the OpenCourseWare YouTube channel and website, Pilgreen enrolled in the MITx MicroMasters program in finance. He is now a business operations specialist for the Jameel World Education Lab at MIT Open Learning, where he helps the lab bring MIT ideas and know-how to educational innovators worldwide.

“MIT OpenCourseWare opens the doors to conversations that were previously closed to learners by geography, time, and class,” Pilgreen says. “As an open learner, I was able to leverage the best instructors in the world from my living room, and turn my time being unemployed into a productive period acquiring the skills I needed to work on Wall Street.”

OpenCourseWare is the brainchild of MIT faculty members. The platform was launched in 2001 when the age of digital sharing was just getting started, establishing MIT as the first higher education institution to make educational resources freely available to learners regardless of geographical location or institutional affiliation. Four years later in 2005, OpenCourseWare created a YouTube channel to further its commitment to accessibility and lifelong learning.

Today, OpenCourseWare — part of MIT Open Learning — remains a global model for open sharing in higher education, with an open license that allows the remix and reuse of its educational resources. OpenCourseWare offers materials on its website from more than 2,500 courses that span the MIT undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Educational resources include syllabi, lecture notes, problem sets, assignments, audiovisual content, and insights.

“We almost take for granted the idea that an enormous amount of outstanding educational content is available to anyone in the world with an internet connection,” says MIT President Sally Kornbluth. “Yet, the fact that this is now the norm has a great deal to do with a groundbreaking project launched at MIT in 2001. OpenCourseWare changed the landscape of education, and it continues to inspire students, teachers, and lifelong learners around the globe to follow their curiosity wherever it leads.”

Curt Newton, OpenCourseWare’s publication director, says the platform inspires millions of curious and motivated learners every year. With over 5 million subscribers and 430 million views, OpenCourseWare stands out as the largest .edu YouTube channel. The channel opens a window into MIT classrooms, giving learners the opportunity to pursue their interests, develop new skills, and even switch careers.

“Videos on our YouTube channel have proven to be an especially effective meeting place,” Newton says. “From introductions to computer programming and the human brain to what it’s like to pilot an advanced jet aircraft, these videos are both a complete learning experience in themselves and an entry into even more expansive worlds of learning found on the OpenCourseWare website.”

Emmanuel Kasigazi, an entrepreneur from Uganda, turned to YouTube during the Covid-19 lockdowns and found hundreds of complete lectures on the OpenCourseWare YouTube channel. He explored psychology, cloud computing, data science, and artificial intelligence.

“The channel opened my eyes to something I didn’t know was reachable,” Kasigazi says. “The psychology classes I took are 24 episodes; each episode is around 40 minutes. That’s a season of ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ It’s amazing that I could spend the same amount of time on two different things, but one of them would change my life, my mindset, and the other would just give me a small dopamine boost.”

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During his learning journey, Kasigazi also gained a community of open learners. He has teamed up with Pilgreen to shine light on the educational adventures of fellow OpenCourseWare learners. The duo is working on a podcast that will launch this fall.

“From the channel itself you get great value, but then you pull back the curtain and get to meet the people on the OpenCourseWare team, and it’s amazing,” Kasigazi says. “It’s incredible the people I get to talk to — all because I decided to watch something on YouTube. The most impactful thing I’ve gotten from this channel is the people I’ve met along the way and the things I’m learning.”

While learners get to expand their knowledge base through these free, publicly accessible videos, MIT faculty members preserve their knowledge for generations to come.

The late professor Patrick Winston’s foundational AI lectures have long been popular on OpenCourseWare. His “How to Speak” lecture, published on the OpenCourseWare YouTube channel in 2018, has become the most popular video on the channel with 18 million views. Winston’s annual talk, which had long been a revered event for the MIT community, has now helped millions of people improve their speaking abilities — from conversing with someone one-on-one to presenting research to nailing job interviews.

Gilbert Strang, a world-renowned mathematician, was one of the first professors to publish his lectures on OpenCourseWare. Today, his linear algebra courses have received more than 15 million visits on OpenCourseWare’s website and over 34 million views on YouTube.

Andrea Henshall, a retired major in the U.S. Air Force, credits her academic success to Strang’s lectures on OpenCourseWare — and other MIT open educational resources. Henshall discovered Strang’s videos after struggling during her first semester of her master’s program in aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. By the end of her master’s program, Henshall was getting A’s in all her courses. She is now pursuing a PhD at MIT.

Although Strang has recently retired from MIT after 63 years of teaching, his lessons will continue to be available online to learners in every country on Earth.

“Great teaching is timeless, from the insightful teaching of decades past to our newest video series — an introduction to using data to address cultural, social, economic, and policy questions, created by Sara Ellison and Nobel laureate Esther Duflo,” Newton says. “We’re honored to be preserving and sharing this knowledge for generations to come.”

MIT OpenCourseWare publishes new content regularly on its YouTube channel and website. Brett Paci, OpenCourseWare’s media publication manager, produces the podcast episodes and many of the video lectures published on the YouTube channel. He considers the channel a “gift to the world.”

“It’s very much in the spirit and mission of MIT to contribute to the global collective knowledge and facilitate learning,” Paci says. “It’s a mission we can be proud of.”

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ghanashowbizonline · 5 months

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Sports - We are pleased Emmanuel Boateng returned to New England Revolution - Sporting Director

Emmanuel Boateng’s return to New England Revolution has brought pleasure to the Sporting Director. New England Revolution Sporting Director Curt Onalfo says the club is pleased Ghana international Emmanuel Boateng has returned to the club. The Major League Soccer club re-signed the midfielder/winger Emmanuel Boateng for the 2024 MLS season, with an option for 2025, as announced by the club on…

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vidstudiosworld · 10 months

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Inspiring Others to Pursue Their Dreams

Caecilia is a judo-athlete aged 12 with a visual impairment. She discusses the importance of overcoming fear and insecurities. Rosa Riedl's tree of her family and historical records. Documents can contain photographs, original documentation including family history and related relatives. They could also include dates, locations, complete names, specific dates and places. The resulting multimedia volume lies at the intersections of memoir and manifesto. It combines an unjustifiable anger with funny humor. The powerful message is a hit with audiences all over the globe. Caecilia Ridl Caecilia is 13 years old and a Judo athlete with a vision impairment. She is a student at the International School of Luxembourg, and she is about to compete in the Paralympics in 2028. She is going to motivate others by sharing her story and encouraging those around her to conquer their fears to pursue their dreams. Marika Cecilia received her first lesson in harp at the age 6 at the age of six from Tabitha Nicolas. In 2011, she began her studies as an undergraduate student at the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater in Munich with Cristina Bianchi and in 2014 she transferred to Zurich University of the Arts in Zurich, where she studied with Sarah O'Brien. Alongside performing solo concert with or without orchestra she has taken numerous masterclasses including one that she took with Luisa Prandina as well as Emmanuel Ceysson. Alex Riedl Alex Riedl is a student who enjoys being active in all kinds of organizations and help other people. She is also very passionate about Art and Psychology and would like to demonstrate that you can achieve anything if you desire it enough. Tabitha Nicolas taught her the fundamentals of playing the harp at age six. She was a junior student at the Musikhochschule in Munich with Cristina Bianchi and in 2014 she started her studies at Zurich University of Arts with Sarah O'Brien, followed by an exchange program in Lausanne with Letizia Belmondo. She has received several fellowships and scholarships, including those from the Lyceum Club Zürich as well as the Marianne and Curt Dienemann Stiftung Luzern (Miriam and Curt Dienemann Foundation) as well as the Lyra Foundation, and the Zangger-Weber Foundation. Johannes Heuschkel Marika Cecilia began her training as a harpiste at the age of six. She is a substitute harpiste with the Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, Philharmonia Zurich(Opernhaus Zurich), and Berner Symphonieorchester. She earned a masters at the Zurich University of the Arts where she studied with Sarah O'Brien. She also received a diploma as a concertist and spent an exchange semester with Letizia Bellmondo in Lausanne. She has been awarded scholarships from the Lycee Club Zurich as well as the Marianne and Curt Dienemann Foundation Lucerne. The varied panel of speakers who talk about topics such as integration of AI into the classroom and programs designed to help children with disabilities in maths will inspire the audience. The speakers include the beatboxer to the muralist and 13-year old visually impaired Judo champs, will demonstrate that anyone is capable of achieving success with the right mindset.

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#Judo #Visually Impaired #Athlete

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kingvideosblog · 10 months

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Inspiring Others to Pursue Their Dreams

Caecilia is a 12-year-old judo-athlete with a vision impairment. She speaks about the importance of getting over fears and anxieties. Rosa Riedl's family tree, as well as historical records. Records can include photos and original documentation, family history and relatives. They may also contain dates, places, full names, specific dates and places. The resultant volume of multimedia is a blend of manifesto and memoir that balances rage and justification with wry humour. It is an effective message that resonates with audiences across the globe. Caecilia Ridl Caecilia is a 13 year old Judo athlete who has a visual impairment. She is an HS student at the International School of Luxembourg and is close to competing at the Paralympics in 2028. She will encourage others to follow her story and motivating students to overcome their doubts to pursue their dreams. Marika Cecilia Reidl started her first harp lessons at age of six with Tabitha Nicolas. She took lessons in 2011 while an undergraduate at Hochschule fur Musik und Theater, Munich with Cristina Bianchi. In 2014, she relocated to Zurich University of the Arts and began her studies in the harp with Sarah O'Brien. She has performed solo concerts in both concert halls and with an orchestra. She also attended numerous masterclasses with Luisa Prandina as well as Emmanuel Ceysson.

youtube

Alex Riedl Alex Riedl is a student who loves to be active in all kinds of organisations and help other people. She is also passionate about Art and Psychology and hopes to prove that you can achieve everything if you wish to enough. She began playing harp at the age of six and began her first lessons from Tabitha Nicolas. She began her studies at the Musikhochschule Munich at the age of 12 alongside Cristina Bianchi. In 2014, she started her studies at Zurich University of Arts in the class of Sarah O'Brien. She has been awarded numerous fellowships and scholarships, including those from the Lyceum Club Zürich, the Marianne and Curt Dienemann Stiftung Luzern (Miriam and Curt Dienemann Foundation), the Lyra Foundation and the Zangger-Weber Foundation. Johannes Heuschkel Marika Cecilia began her training as a Harpiste at the age of six. She is a substitute harpiste with the Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, Philharmonia Zurich(Opernhaus Zurich) and the Berner Symphonieorchester. She has a masters degree at the Zurich University of the Arts in collaboration with Sarah O'Brien, as well as a diploma for concertists and an exchange semester in Lausanne with Letizia Belmondo. She has received grants from the Lycee Club Zurich as well as the Marianne and Curt Dienemann Foundation Lucerne. The diverse lineup of speakers, who will discuss topics like the integration of AI into schools and programs that aid children who are disadvantaged in maths will inspire the audience. From an artist who beatboxes and paints murals to visually impaired 13-year-old Judo champions, these speakers will show that it is possible to achieve anything when you believe in yourself. Video credits: YouTube

#Judo #Visually Impaired #Athlete

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homocidemania · 10 months

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Inspiring Others to Pursue Their Dreams

Caecilia Riedl is a 12 year old Judo athlete who has a visual impairment. She explains how crucial it is to conquer fear and doubt. Family trees and historical documents connected to Rosa Riedl. The records may contain photos of original documents, family history family members, specific dates, locations and full names. The final multimedia volume sits between memoir and manifesto, balancing the righteous rage of a person with funny humor. It is an enthralling message that resonates with people across the globe. Caecilia Riedl Caecilia is a 13-year-old Judo competitor with a vision impairment. She is an undergraduate at the International School of Luxembourg, and is preparing to participate in the Paralympics of 2028. She is going to encourage others to follow her story and inspiring those around her to conquer their fears to follow their dreams. Marika Cecilia took her first lesson in harp at the age 6 from Tabitha Nicolas. She was studying in 2011 when she was an undergraduate at Hochschule fur Musik und Theater, Munich with Cristina Bianchi. In 2014, she moved to Zurich University of the Arts and began studies in the harp with Sarah O'Brien. In addition to performing solo shows with and without orchestra she has also completed numerous masterclasses including ones with Luisa Prandina and Emmanuel Ceysson. Alex Riedl Alex Riedl, a student from Austria, loves to help others and to be involved in various organisations. She enjoys Art and Psychology She wants to show that anyone can do whatever they wish to achieve. She started harp playing at the age of 6 and received her first lessons from Tabitha Nicolas. She studied as a junior student at the Musikhochschule in Munich with Cristina Bianchi and in 2014 she started her studies at Zurich University of Arts with Sarah O'Brien, followed by an exchange program in Lausanne with Letizia Belmondo. She has received several grants and scholarships, among them ones from the Lyceum Club Zürich The Marianne and Curt Dienemann Stiftung Luzern (Miriam and Curt Dienemann Foundation) in addition to the Lyra Foundation and the Zangger-Weber Foundation.

youtube

Johannes Heuschkel Marika Cecilia Riedl, harpiste. Begin her studies at six. She is a remplacent player at the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Philharmonia Zurich (Opernhaus Zurich) and the Berner Symphonieorchester. She has a masters degree at the Zurich University of the Arts together with Sarah O'Brien, as well as a concertist diploma and an exchange year in Lausanne with Letizia Belmondo. She has been awarded scholarships from the Lycee Club Zurich and the Marianne and Curt Dienemann Foundation Lucerne. The variety of speakers, who will cover topics such as the integration of AI into schools as well as programs designed to help children with disabilities in maths will inspire the crowd. From a beatboxer and mural artist to visually impaired 13-year-old Judo champions The speakers will prove that you can achieve anything when you believe in yourself. The video from YouTube

#Judo #Visually Impaired #Athlete

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raisab332012 · 1 year

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Answer to How bad is what Crestfallen Angela Bassett said in reaction after losing best Supporting Actress Oscar to Jamie Lee Curtis goes viral? by Emmanuel Ikechukwu

Answer to How bad is what Crestfallen Angela Bassett said in reaction after losing best Supporting Actress Oscar to Jamie Lee Curtis goes viral? by Emmanuel Ikechukwu https://helloroyalstars.quora.com/How-bad-is-what-Crestfallen-Angela-Bassett-said-in-reaction-after-losing-best-Supporting-Actress-Oscar-to-Jamie-Lee-Curt-1?ch=15&oid=1477743649959256&share=2877a5e2&srid=7KVRc&target_type=answer

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dominiccartertv · 5 years

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Church Conference: "Men Building Men." by Dominic Carter Via Flickr: Under the leadership of Bishop Curt E. Courtenay, Emmanuel Church of God in Brooklyn held a beautiful event for their Men's Day. A Men Building Men conference where Newsman Dominic Carter was the keynote speaker. The event was held at the Church in Brooklyn, August 17th, 2019.

#Journalist Dominic Carter newsman reporter Church Testimony guest speaker men's day #Emmanuel Church of God #Brooklyn #Bishop Curt E. Courtenay

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vampiresuns · 3 years

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The Rising Tide

For @arcana-echoes day 9: First Loves. I decided to post this one day early after spending two days straight working on it.

This is the story of Anatole and his first boyfriend. It is not a happy story. I could write an entire series about Anatole’s first loves: Vesuvia, Himself, Navneet Kaur, one of his best friend’s older brother. However, this is a story about Anatole’s vulnerability and I suppose it is a love story about himself.

Title: The Rising Tide - The Killers

CWS: Discussion of abuse, implied assault (though nothing is explicitly described). Anatole gets called ‘limp-wristed’ but he punches the guy who does so. Mentions of blood and wounds which draw blood.

Words: 4,740

Anatole was sitting on top of some crates, the sea breeze playing with his hair and his notes long forgotten. The ship was going from beyond the strait of seals to Firent, where he was supposed to board another ship and go directly to Vesuvia. Stopping by at Firent didn’t thrill him in the slightest, though it had nothing to do with Firent itself, and everything to do with the ship he would board there.

He wouldn’t even have Milenko and Amparo there with him. Milenko was taking another ship to Venterre before he made it back to Vesuvia, and Amparo was staying in Firent.

Amparo who was sitting one crate below Anatole, reading a novel she shut with a thud. “Speak.”

“I thought I was on a speaking ban,” Milenko replied.

“Not you. Toly.”

Anatole pressed the heel of his palm against his eyes, rubbing. He ran his hands over his face, and groaned loudly into them. “What is there to say.”

“Here we go,” Milenko said, rolling his eyes with an affectionate smirk. Anatole hit his head with his notebook. “Hey!”

“Speaking ban.”

“You’re not on one, so spit it out, you’re brooding like a lobster.”

Milenko mimicked lobster claws with his hands, clicking his mouth as a sound effect.

“How do you know lobsters brood?”

“I do.”

“Okay, merlenko.”

“Rude.”

Anatole accepted the claim and sighed, resigning himself to speak. “The only ship which can take me back to Vesuvia on time is Admiral Lemione’s.”

Milenko perked up, sitting abnormally straight, and Amparo paled. “Is there anyone else, are you sure?”

“We’re dead sure.”

“Oh, fuck. Toly, I’m so sorry.”

Anatole snorted, grabbed his notebook, his pen and climbed down from the crates. “Yeah, well, it’s not your fault,” he said, angry and curt, stomping away like he would push anyone who would dare talk to him, or worse show him pity, out of his way.

Later he would realise Amparo was not pitying him, she was worried, as was Milenko. He would apologise then, but right now all he wanted was to scream and be left alone.

***

Navy Admiral Emmanuel Parakevas Lemione, Baronet, was an orderly man, who liked things in an orderly manner, disliked unruly crowds and didn’t let his sailors play too much music or play too many games as they were “mundane distractions ill-timed with duty.” He had married Lady Alba Dommina Aspi in an arranged marriage when he was 25 and she 21 — a marriage resulting in six children, all of them men: Emmanuel, Terminus, Parakevas, Adeodatus, Nereus and Decimo.

He disliked the Colosseum only because he disliked anything that resembled commoners reminding anyone they existed, and while he thought gambling was foul, he supposed it was an adequate end for criminals and the like.

While land-owning, rich and old, the Lemione family had impoverished itself to the point of only keeping two properties: the ancestral seat at the outskirts of Vesuvia — dilapidated and in disrepair — and a minor, unremarkable Palazzo which came endowed with Alba when she and Emmanuel got married. A series of poor alliances had left them with almost no allies, no money, at risk of losing everything and in great debt.

Emmanuel, stern and impassive could think of nothing worse than losing all chances to win an even better title, and leave nothing to his sons. Elitist and removed, Alba could think of nothing worse than being ostracised from good company, and having to work to earn their living.

So they had agreed a good change in directions was needed, if their comfort was to be retained.

The new Count, while trite, foreign, flashy and undeserving of the position in their minds, did enjoy expansive foreign policies which were always a nice environment for war, which suited Emmanuel — he didn’t have to like the Count if they both had a mutually beneficial relationship. A Navy fleet was quite useless without a war in sight.

The other thing they needed was acquaintances or alliances which would serve as proof that they had changed, a way to reposition themselves back in the Court, and enjoy all the privileges they once did. Create the feeling they were dependable once again, so people believed things of them depending on whom they went with.

The Cassano weren’t the kind of family they had in mind — they were nothing further from the Lemione, with their self-won importance, people-leaning tendencies and their lack of Nobiliary tiles; but they had the Consulship, and had held it for the last 500 years. Them ruling the Council of Vesuvia undisputed was no rumour, it was reality: they had taken the second most important political office in Vesuvia to their name, and by interacting with, and considering, people from all ends of life, they had acquired unprecedented status.

Even if they were too eccentric for the Lemione tastes, and their families had never merged, it could be seen as a move of cooperation. Besides, they did rule the Council and they did have money.

Decimo Lemione becoming enamoured with Aelius Anatole of the Cassano, who was rumoured to take the Consulship after Valerius (unless the Consul himself married and had children, which seemed extremely unlikely) was simply a stroke of luck.

***

Aelius Anatole Radošević De Silva, of the Cassano of Vesuvia was as beautiful as he was intelligent. He had looked striking in a suit almost as blue as Decimo’s eyes.

Decimo hadn’t even bothered with the other two: Milenko wasn’t a Cassano, and Amparo, while beautiful and a Ravella on one side, which was most advantageous, did not glow golden in the ballroom lights like Anatole did. His father and his mother had always told him to seek advantageous pairings and acquaintances, something which Decimo tried, he really tried — yet sometimes all the stories one of his aunts used to tell him as a child overtook him.

He was 18, he was no longer a child. He longed to prove himself worthy and useful, a man through and through, so he pushed down the old fairy tales and decided that the boy whom everyone who was anyone knew was Valerius’, Consul of Vesuvia, favourite candidate to succeed him, would be good enough for his parents, so he let himself follow him around, starstruck at his bright mind and charming words.

Decimo didn’t account for how all that one repressed, still sought an outlet. His fairytales slipped through his fingers, weaving in his head a story of how Anatole would love him for reasons only right to him, and they would get married like his parents had, and the children of the future Consul would be his children, and therefore Lemiones. It would work for in his mind the stars wanted it that way.

Him and Anatole dated for six months, six months in which they saw one another not as much as Decimo would like — in reality, nothing was much like Decimo would’ve liked. Anatole seemed well adjusted, but was as eccentric as the rest of his family. He danced on ships, and talked to people one wasn’t supposed to talk to. He read authors who had dangerous ideas, and sometimes he almost sounded like his brother Nereus. Anatole was not easily dissuaded, intimidated or dismayed. His ideas were bright beacons of possibility, and he was ready to pursue them all when the time was right.

He talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, and talked. Mostly about his dreams, and he wanted to know Decimo’s opinion on topics he had no idea what to think about beyond what his parents had told him, or what his family thought, which was never enough for Anatole. He had heard his mother once talk about how the Consul was too preoccupied with arts and cultural festivals, and not enough with proper aristocratic rule, so he would’ve had to be broken in more — a flaw of youth, as young Consuls, in Alba’s idea, didn’t do. Decimo imagined Anatole was the same, but with ideas of justice, equality and democracy, words which seemed all to foreign for him to even want to accept.

Anatole wasn’t even Vesuvian, he was Balkovian. Decimo, set on his fairytale, decided his weird ideas would have to do with the fact Balkovia was a Democratic Federation: he wasn’t entirely sure what that entailed in real life, but he knew it was a Sovereignty which was ruled by its people, and not by birth right. That couldn’t do, it wasn’t their fault people resented them for having a better origin and therefore being entitled to finer, better things. Therefore, to Decimo, the solution was simple: Anatole, like his uncle, had to be broken in, never accounting that Anatole’s spirit was not one to be dominated by anyone or anything.

Breaking down a Cassano, or a Radošević, took years, and it took people (or entities) stronger and wilier than Decimo will ever be, and Anatole was both.

Decimo’s aspirations went three towns further from Hell when one Vesuvian Summer, his father officially laid on the table the possibility of an arranged marriage in the future, given the boys have taken to each other and it would seem most beneficial for the families and the boys happiness. Valerius’ — head of the Cassano family as the Consul in seat — and Anatole’s parents’ ‘No’ were so automatic Admiral Lemione thought it was a joke at first.

The second set of ‘No’ was final and emphatic; the rest of the evening was a complete disaster.

The list of things Decimo never accounted for was long: he never accounted for Valerius and the Cassano being so starkly against marriage offers. He never accounted for Anatole’s parents being nothing if not an unified front when it came to protecting their son’s dreams, feelings, integrity and aspirations. He never accounted for the Cassano to see straight through his father’s intentions and distrust his lack of principles.

He never accounted for Anatole’s feelings, his opinions or all of the times Anatole asked him to back off, said ‘no’, or said anything really. Playing pretend he was older and more important than he actually was, it wasn’t that Decimo didn’t pay attention to Anatole, it was that he thought his ‘weird ideas’ were temporary, his ‘no’ finite. He never accounted for the fact Anatole’s patience, politeness or ‘civility’ (how his father called it) would run out, and were in fact were very limited when they came to Decimo.

All that his father had told him on the matter was: “You’re a fool, boy. Unless that boy comes crawling for you, I don’t want to hear about him ever again.”

“But—”

“No buts! Do you think I have forgotten how he speaks to people who are higher ranking and older than him? Do you think I have not listened to that son of radicals and agitators masked in fine clothing speak? What is worse, Decimo, is you never even realised what you were getting into. That boy is a lost cause and he would eat you alive in three seconds because you are not firm enough.

“Him and his family are a plague upon good people like us. A Baudelaire would’ve been better, for no riches will ever make Aelius Radošević anything other than what he is: a disgrace.”

His father paused, walking to the nearest window and looking out on it. “At least he is smart. Too smart, alas. He was right in telling you you are too young to know what love is. I should’ve never let your aunt Amani tell you all those stories as a child, you clearly haven’t outgrown them.”

Decimo was going to say he had a plan, that it would work, if only his father and Anatole would see, but the Admiral turned to him and Decimo felt his voice die in his throat. “Let me teach you something right here, right now, Decimo: the only thing Love is useful for, is as an excuse.”

***

Anatole has always been fascinated by statues. When he was a kid he used to look at statues of men and think how one day he wanted to be like them, but living. Walking. Breathing. They meant an imprint in the world of whom you had been, but at the same time, it was someone else’s interpretation of you: someone else moulded you to whom you thought you were. Anatole looked up at them, cheeks growing hotter at those he found the prettiest and thought how much he would like for them to become alive and tell him how they thought themselves.

No heroes commemorated by the memory of others, but by their own hand.

He had never liked the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea for that reason. How horrid must it be to be idealised as everything you were not, of having your identity and your existence handed to you. He had never liked people who did that, and Decimo was one of those people.

He had liked him once, but not anymore. He had liked him when he relaxed and his blue eyes became unsure and poetic, but had stopped when he had pushed what made him different, what made him himself down to resemble his horrible father. He had liked him when he listened, making him feel like those dreams he kept under his pillow weren’t big enough for him — that he’d grow and grow and grow until he fit them — until he realised Decimo wasn’t listening.

He had liked him when he felt sorry he had lost his brother Nereus, who left after a fight with his father a year prior, moving in with one of his aunts. He hadn’t when he saw Nereus’ wish to be himself as an act of cowardice, instead of an act of bravery. Decimo could be very bright and very gentle, but he always had a but. For Decimo to be everything he could be, he would have to stop living in the Admiral’s shadow; as sad as it could be, Anatole didn’t know if Decimo had it in him to stop.

His airs of self importance, and how he acted like love was an act of disposition made him intolerable in Anatole’s mind. Everything nice Decimo had once had, was been swiftly changed with the image of him telling him there was no need to fight his father when one day Anatole had been invited for dinner (and he couldn’t find any way to excuse himself). Parakevas, who had stayed for dinner, told Decimo Anatole had simply disagreed, congratulating him for it.

“For the sake of the Gods, Decimo. Let him. What worth is youth without some disobedience.”

“Father wouldn’t like that.”

“Is father here? No he is not,” Parakevas took a drag out of the cigarette he was smoking. “And I would tell him what my opinion is right to his face anyway, I don’t live in this decrepit old house any more.”

“I think it’s a nice house,” Decimo insisted.

“Well, I don��t, and I’m not arguing about it, it is simply my opinion. You’ve been travelling for less than a year with the Navy, you haven’t seen enough of the world yet.”

Anatole thought Parakevas was right. Decimo had seen nothing of the world. He lived right in Vesuvia, with its different cultures and people, and he still thought difference was only tolerable when performed by the right people — a copy of his father.

That had been months ago. Now he was lying in his bedroom in Firent, looking at the ceiling and thinking too much, too loudly. Everyone in his family had told him there would always be people who thought his mere existence was an affront to theirs, people who would like to mold the world into something familiar and people who, as he became more notorious, would want things out of him, painting him to their own convenience. Anatole had always had enough of a presence, enough of a strong, noticeable personality to know what that was like from a young age.

The world, in its diversity, changes and differences was beautiful, and there were always people who would want to make it all the same, per secula seculorum. The more himself he became, the more apparent it was. The Lemione would always dislike people who used their power for others, instead of for themselves.

What Anatole feared out of all of it was he would sway to them: that one day he might not be strong enough to carry forward, that he would not be enough. That their words and opinions might swallow him whole, and his strength vanish.

He doesn’t want to think about it, but the scene replayed in his head over and over again: in the Vesuvian summer, he had asked Decimo why was his father talking to his parents and Valeriy. Decimo had explained, rhapsodising about a plan and a future which involved nothing of who Anatole really was, casually insulting everything he wanted to be. He had said no, and this time, Decimo wasn’t so gentle about it; instead he became abrasive, demanding to know why it was that Anatole refused to see that he was right.

You could repeat a wrong thing one thousand times, and it would not make it any less wrong. Decimo held Anatole by his wrist.

“Decimo, let me go,” Anatole hissed, pulling his hand away.

“But, but I have written to you, and I have travelled with you, and I have fallen in love with you—” Decimo kept listing things, trying to prove something by its appearance rather than by its substance. Anatole’s patience ran out.

“Decimo you’re months older than me,” he interrupted him. Decimo stared at him with a half open mouth. Anatole no longer looked beautiful, the anger in his eyes and the sarcasm in his voice made him look terrifying; to Decimo, he had suddenly grown to occupy the entire room.

“You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, you jerk. You don’t know a thing about anything and you never listen to me. You parade me like a pretty little thing you found in need of patronage, as if you were anything else than a guy my age.”

“Anatole, I love you,” he insisted.

“No you don’t, you don’t know a single thing about what love is, and maybe I don’t either, but at least I know I’m not a self-entitled jerk.”

With tears clouding his vision Anatole turned off the candles in his room with a flick of his hand. In the darkness, overwhelmed and afraid, he cried.

***

His cousins hugged him goodbye before Milenko went his way (his ship sailed earlier); Amparo hugged him once again for good measure.

“You’ll see us in a couple of months, and you can tell us how terrible it was in person, if you haven’t already in letters.”

“I think I’ll need both after the sour aftertaste. Break a leg, Lele.”

“I plan to break both.”

His cousin’s bright smile stayed with him as he armed himself with courage to board the ship. His head tutor asked if he was okay, to which he said yes, but before he could say anything else they were separated as she was needed somewhere else and Anatole was led towards his room.

He didn’t have the chance to settle down when someone came to retrieve him: the Admiral wished to speak to him. Of course he did, the disgusting man.

The Captain was in the navigation room, where a Cartographer who was around Valeriy’s age was working as well, along with an apprentice of theirs. They looked up when Anatole stepped in, the Cartographer’s face brightening — he knew Anatole from before. His name was Cassius Ravella, one of the Cousin’s of Amparo’s parent, Iris. The Admiral interjected before Cassius had any chance to speak.

“Young Aelius.”

Gods (of whatever religion, Anatole was not picky), he hated this man. “Admiral.”

“It is a pleasure to have you on board,” he began, amiable enough for Anatole to distrust his words. “I have already met with your head tutor, who has informed me you would be focused on your studies so you should not interfere with Navy business.”

“Yes, that is correct,” as long as you leave me be, Anatole didn’t add.

“Then I expect you not to interfere, and accept the olive branch that was handing you your own quarters after—“ he paused, “you may go. Please remember the ship rules for the Navy man’s duty never ends.”

Anatole blinked at him, frowning. “But I’m not a Navy man.”

The conversation didn’t end there, but for all purposes it did; Anatole had no wish to cause trouble, but he had no intention to let this man order him around. Whether he wanted it or not he was going to be on the defensive the entire way to Vesuvia. At least it was apparent Decimo was not on the ship, a blessing on itself. He wouldn’t try to antagonise the Admiral too further, even if he wanted to — right now was not the time to blow his chances, nor he wanted to give anyone the pleasure to get a reaction out of him. Maybe Decimo wasn’t on board, but Adeodatus — whom Anatole disliked the most out of the Lemione brothers — and one of his friends, Joa, were on board.

His safe haven on the ship lasted ten days.

For ten days he had replied as intelligently as he could, tried to set boundaries, or not replied at all to all sorts of commentary and taints from Joa and Adeodatus, while feeling like he was constantly being observed. Still he had tried his best in his lessons, and spent as much time as possible not around. However, per the Admiral’s insistence (or wilful lack of cooperation) his fencing lessons had to be with the rest of the younger navy people, whatever their rank was — Anatole did not care.

He hadn’t been paired with Adeodatus or Joa, but they found him anyway. The exercise was rounds, and Anatole had won all of his; so had Adeodatus. On the fifth point in their spar, Adeodatus made an unlawful move.

Anatole took his face guard off, holding it under his arm. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Jeez, don’t take it so badly Nana,” Anatole looked at him deadpan, “we have to train for war.”

“You’re training in a martial sport, and even war has rules.”

“Rule of the strongest,” Adeodatus laughed. Joa high fived him.

Anatole rolled his eyes as the fencing master declared the point nule, but Adeodatus said something unspeakable about Anatole’s Uncle and Anatole himself, and the world fell silent around them. The fencing master granted him a black card, but Antole didn’t even notice. He wasn’t just angry, he seethed, his face disfiguring with anger making Joa’s mouth fall open.

“Say that to my face, slimy, rat bastard.”

“I said—”

Anatole dropped his face guard completely, closing the distance between them. Without him noticing his brain already decided for him: he’d have a better chance at doing anything if he went for Adeodatus midriff. He was considerably taller, but jaws were hard and his brain decided to minimise his hand damage by punching him on the solar plexus.

Adeodatus coughed, Joa yelled at him, so did the fencing master. Anatole paid no mind to it. He had a limit, this was his limit, but he should’ve thought it was a bad idea to punch someone as prideful as Decimo’s brother: Adeodatus who had always lived in the shadow of his brother Emmanuel, not because of anything that Emmanuel did, but because he had none of the good qualities Emmanuel had. Adeodatus was a cocky, mediocre bully who had just been punched by someone six years younger than him.

A six years younger than him ineffectual, limp-wristed fool, like he had said before Anatole punched him.

Anatole almost fell on his back scrambling for his own sword as Adeodatus lunged forward. He was taller, stronger, definitely more violent than Anatole. One thing was Anatole being in the headspace of a fight, where he made up for his lack of height and his fairly average strength with stamina, wits and velocity. This was an actual fight, a scenario he had never found himself in before. Adeodatus hit his cheek with an elbow, as someone — Anatole didn’t notice who — futilely tried to separate them.

Everything ended when Adeodatus took his sword to Anatole’s face.

“Adeodatus Lemione!” the Admiral yelled, drawing everyone out of it. Anatole took his hand to his cheek, it stung, and blood was starting to go out of the cut on his left cheekbone, his fingers touching wet, fresh blood.

He advanced and didn’t give Adeodatus peace until he disarmed him.

***

Everyone who was anyone in Vesuvia, where gossiping was the local sport, knew the Lemione and the Cassano couldn’t stand each other — however everyone assumed it was for the usual reasons. Very few people knew Decimo Lemione and Aelius Radošević had dated, with a failed marriage offer. More people knew about Adeodatus Lemione scarring the cheek of the Consul-to-be after insulting him, the Consul in seat and his family, and the subsequent scandal it had caused.

They didn’t know it from Decimo Lemione, though. Decimo Lemione refused to talk about Aelius Anatole Radošević in any capacity, out of what most people assumed was respect. In reality, it was fear. He was terrified of his ex-boyfriend.

A couple of years after the sword incident, when Anatole was 23 he saw Decimo face to face for the last time. They had crossed paths on a Palace function: Anatole was even handsomer than Decimo realised, foolish as he was he decided to approach him.

While he felt fear when the ever insisting Decimo placed an indiscreet hand on his leg, it was the anger in him which won. As calmly as he could he told Decimo they should take this somewhere else. When he was away enough, Anatole unshielded his rapier, pointing it directly against Decimo’s chest.

“Now you will listen to me, and you will listen to me well, you absolute fucking coward. Do you know what the penalty is for these and further offences in Vesuvia?”

“Nana, put that down.”

“It’s Radošević De Silva to you. You do know by the look in your disgusting eyes. Do you really think anyone will listen to the no one son, of a no one Admiral, against the claim of a Cassano of Vesuvia? When I have a rightful claim? Think about that when you decide to put a hand on me ever again.”

“There’s no need to exaggerate— I wasn’t—“

“Do I need to remind you of your own words to me?” Even if his hand shook, his voice did not. “Do you know what your brother called me when he put a sword to my face? That I was an ineffectual, limp-wristed fool. And yet— and yet.”

Decimo tried to back away but every step that he took was a step Anatole advanced.

“You could’ve at least tried this when I wasn’t carrying a sword with me, but you’ve always been an idiot. I swear on my mother, Decimo, that if you ever dare to put a hand on me, there will be no corner of the world you’ll be able to hide. Put a hand on me again, speak to me again, and I will make your life so miserable you’ll have nowhere to hide because everyone will know the kind of asshole that you are.

“Do not try me, Decimo.”

Later that night, Anatole would cry in the arms of his parents who were visiting Vesuvia with him, just like he had cried after he had fought Adeodatus, only this time he wasn’t alone. He would shake and cry out of fear and hurting, so many of his fears and doubts joining one another in one screech inside his head.

However he had been right: Decimo was a coward. Maybe he had never truly listened to him, but he had listened enough to know Anatole was stronger than he let on, in body and spirit. Anatole never saw him again, and Decimo never spoke of what had happened between him and Anatole to anyone outside of his family.

#the arcana #the arcana oc #my writing #arcana echoes #echoes of the past: anatole #decimo lemione #the lemione family

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katefiction · 4 years

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Cora, Chapter 8: Princess in the Tower

by katefiction (Maria) / 2013

St. Michael’s Church, London

December 2165

Pine cones and orange is my favourite smell. The way it gets right up your nose as if forcing you to acknowledge that it’s Christmas time. I breathe it in fully, revelling in my favourite time of year.

‘Could this get any duller?’ Annie says, shifting uncomfortably in the pew.

‘Shh’

‘Seriously, there aren’t even any cute guys to look at’ she huffs.

‘It’s a charity carol concert Annie, not an opportunity to pick up men!’ I whisper.

‘You wouldn’t be saying that if you weren’t cozied up to Nicky’

I blush.

I had told Annie what Louisa had said, how she’d made me doubt Nicholas’ integrity.

Annie had told me straight, ‘it seems like you’re just looking for an excuse to break up with him’

‘That’s not true!’ I protested. ‘Why would she say it?’

‘Because she hates you?…’ Annie said unhelpfully.

I hadn’t asked Nicholas about it, I didn’t want to cause a rift between him and Jonathan. The more I thought about it, the more I began to think Annie was right. Nicholas was a good man who treated me well and cared about me. Why would I want to ruin that?

The choir arrives at the front of the large church, and the orchestra warms up, filling the huge space with music.

‘Do I have to sing?’ Annie mumbles under her breath.

‘Yes or at least pretend’ I laugh.

Nicholas and his family are on the other side of the aisle; he catches me laughing and flashes me a smile.

I smile back awkwardly.

We are asked to rise and all hold up our song sheets to sing O Little Town of Bethlehem.

I had gone for a black A-line dress tonight with netting underneath which I immediately regret as Annie starts to tease me.

‘That netting is invading my personal space’ she says as we get to the second verse.

“The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight”

I giggle, ‘get on with the song!’

She is clearly bored, but as she is always in America for Christmas, I force her to spend time with me whenever she’s in the country.

She begins looking around the church, presumably for a guy to flirt with.

“We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell”

‘Um Cora’ she says, turning around.

‘What now?’

‘Ben’s here’

“O come to us, abide with us Our Lord Emmanuel”

The carol comes to a rousing end and I spin around, hitting Annie with my skirt.

I see him immediately on one of the back pews. He is wearing a long dark coat with a scarf wrapped around his neck, which he’s pulling at. On his face is a one, or possibly two day layer of stubble.

I turn back around before he catches me staring as we launch into Away in a Manger.

Had he seen me?

‘Go talk to him’

‘No’

‘Don’t be so petulant!’

‘What is he even doing here?’ I say, more to myself.

The people on the front row turn and give us the evil eye.

‘Sorry’ I mouth.

Annie hushes her volume, ‘maybe he was feeling festive?’ she shrugs.

I give her the side eye, and as I do, find Nicholas looking directly at me. He gives me a curt nod and turns to look at Ben.

Crap.

We are given an interval to rest our voices. I try not to look over to Ben as I’m aware of Nicholas’ eyes fixed on me, but from the corner of my eye, I see him wonder to the back of the church by himself.

‘Hey you’ I say to Nick as I approach him. ‘Having a good time?’

‘Naturally, you?’

‘Yes yes’ I say, smoothing my dress down.

He pulls me to one side, away from Jonathan and Louisa, who are giving a bored Annie the schedule for their wedding.

‘If you want to go and talk to him, now’s the time’

I burn red, am I that obvious?

‘Don’t be silly…’

‘It’s fine…I’m fine with it, I trust you’. He says it so sweetly but for a moment I’m annoyed that he’s speaking to me like a child.

‘I’ll be five minutes, ten tops’ I say.

He nods and lets me hurry off to where I saw Ben heading, my heels clattering on the stone floor.

I find him in one of the alcoves with his back to the entrance, staring up at the carved wooden ceiling, presumably admiring the architecture. I watch him for a minute, not wanting to disturb his moment.

‘Are you going to say something?’ he says, his voice making me jump.

‘Oh…you knew I was there?’

‘I could hear your horse shoes coming a mile off’, he says, still with his back to me.

‘They’re not…’ I begin, but think better of it. ‘How are you?’

He turns around finally, his dark eyes fixing on me, ‘good, and you?’

‘Good good, happy birthday…for last month’ I say awkwardly.

He smirks at me, ‘happy birthday for last January’

I can’t help but roll my eyes at his nerdy joke. ‘So what brings you here?’

‘My cousin’s a member of the choir. And you?’

‘Nicholas’ family go every year, he invited me’

Ben stuffs his hands in his pocket defensively, ‘ah yes, good old Nicholas’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

The conversation turns unpleasant in a split second.

‘He swooped right in there didn’t he?’

My blood begins to boil. ‘I hardly call a year after we broke up “swooping”’

‘He was still there in the shadows waiting for his moment’

It’s only at this moment after all this time grieving, that I realise how angry I am at him.

‘Don’t be so ridiculous Ben’

‘Speaking of ridiculous, nice dress’. He reaches out and fluffs the netting up.

‘Stop trying to change the subject, it doesn’t work anymore’

‘Doesn’t it?’

I suddenly realise how close he’s standing to me. And the fact that no one else is around.

‘I don’t think you know how pissed off I am with you’

‘Why?!’ he says incredulously.

‘For not having the balls to stick around!’ I say too loudly. ‘I thought we had something…and you gave it up over a stupid tennis match that you didn’t even win’

He laughs as he backs away from me.

‘And why do you think I didn’t win Cora?!’

I’m too angry to take that as a compliment.

‘Well you got over it this year didn’t you?’

‘You can talk’

We stand there in silence, our chests heaving.

‘Does he make you happy?’

I don’t know what to say. He doesn’t make me unhappy.

‘He understands my life’

Ben moves closer again, ‘that’s not what I asked you’

‘He won’t walk out or get scared away…’

‘I didn’t get scared away, you pushed me out’

‘You called it off, not me!’

‘You will never admit you were in the wrong will you?’

‘Because I wasn’t’ I say stubbornly, trying to ignore his honey and wood scent that I love so much.

He sighs, as if defeated.

Fight for me. Please fight for me.

‘I hope he makes you happy Cora’

The music starts up again, telling us that we are to return to our seats.

He signals for me to walk out first, knowing that we can’t be seen together.

I do, and I don’t turn back.

Christmas

‘A royal flush!’ Dad laughs as he pulls out the novelty toilet paper that I’ve bought him for Christmas. Each piece has his face printed on it. ‘Thank you darling…I think’

It had been tradition for years for our family to buy each other joke presents at Christmas. This year was no exception.

Dad always bought me some novelty Christmas-wear, and this year I was proudly sporting some cosy reindeer slippers.

The rest of the family buzz around the Christmas tree, exchanging comedy gifts and laughing with each other.

‘Any gifts from Nicholas?’ Dad asks, trying to be casual.

‘I told him not to bother’ I say quietly, trying not to catch the attention of the rest.

‘Well that’s a shame, perhaps he’ll have something for you anyway’ he looks around the room like he always does when he’s hiding something.

‘Like what?’

‘Oh I don’t know, a ring maybe?’

‘Daddy! Don’t be stupid!’ I shout, prompting strange looks from around the room.

‘Ignore her’ Dad says to everyone, and they dutifully get back to their business.

‘He is not going to give me a ring’ I whisper.

He was talking about marriage just last month.

‘Wouldn’t you like that? Surely every girl would like a big diamond given to them by a nice man’

‘First of all, I hate diamonds, and secondly, even if I did want that, I wouldn’t be telling my father!’

Dad laughs conspiratorially.

‘What? What’s so funny?’ I say, getting increasingly agitated.

‘Let’s just say me and Nicholas have had words’ he pushes on of the baubles on the tree, making in swing and shimmer in the light.

‘Daddy, please don’t say…has he asked you…for permission?’

Rather than beating fast, my heart feels like it’s slowing down. Dad’s expression turns to concern.

‘I thought that’s what you wanted?’ he says.

Sometimes he can be so naïve.

‘To get married one day…yes, but…’

‘Not to Nicholas?’

‘Dad, shh!’

‘Sorry’ he whispers. ‘I just can’t see why you wouldn’t want to marry him, he’s charming, kind, affable, and he’d be great with the public…’

‘Are you sure you don’t want to marry him?’ I say sarcastically.

He tuts at my joke.

‘I didn’t say I didn’t want to marry him, but don’t you think it’s too soon?’

For all my worries, I can’t see Nicholas proposing this soon. He’s far too sensible.

‘Perhaps. But your mother and I got engaged after nine months’

‘And look where that got you!’ I scoff.

‘We had many good years Cora’

‘But I don’t just want years, I want a good life, to grow old with someone who I can have fun with’

Dad leans in, ‘Don’t you think it’s time you let Benjamin go sweetheart?’

‘That’s not what I meant’ I say, my heart quickening.

‘I know you were crazy for him, but he’s not here, and Nicholas is. It’s not fair to keep comparing them’

‘I’m not’ I keep my eyes focussed on one of the baubles.

‘You will never be happy if you don’t accept it, trust me’

‘I have accepted it’ I lie.

I just miss him so much, I want to scream.

Dad puts one arm around me and I snuggle momentarily into his round chest.

‘I just want you to be happy’ he whispers.

‘So do I’ I say back.

The Boxing Day shoot was always my least favourite part of the festive season. I was no shooter, but Dad forced me to come along every year anyway to ‘spend time with the family’.

I’d much rather be spending time with a mince pie and a Christmas movie.

It is freezing on the Sandringham Estate, with the open spaces allowing the wind to bite nastily at my ears and fingertips. I stand with my gun hanging limply in my hand, watching as Dad expertly aims at his target. I’m so bored I could cry.

‘MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!’ comes a booming voice behind me.

I turn around to see Nicholas, Jonathan and their parents striding towards us, all clad in their finest shooting gear.

Nick beams at me as he approaches. God knows what my expression must look like.

‘What are you doing here?!’ I ask as we exchange kisses.

‘Your father thought you might like some company’ he says, giving a curt bow and handshake to Dad who is greeting everyone. ‘He called us last night’

‘That’s all a bit sudden’ I say nervously, recalling my conversation with Dad yesterday.

Nicholas rubs his hands together for warmth, ‘yes well, he wanted a chance to congratulate Jonathan and Louisa on the wedding, seeing as he can’t make it next week’

Of course he did.

‘That’s…nice’ I say.

‘Aren’t you happy to see me?’ he says with a smile.

I press my hand against his chest, ‘yes of course Nick’

It is the truth, Nicholas was great company and I was glad to see him.

My good mood is cut short in a second, when from the corner of my eye; I see a blonde ponytail swinging in the distance.

Louisa and her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire walk purposefully in our direction.

‘They’re here too?!’ I say, probably quite rudely.

‘Is that a problem?’ Nicholas looks a little annoyed.

‘No…it’s just, Dad rarely invites anyone to this shoot…’

Why on God’s earth would he invite Louisa?Was he trying to ruin my Christmas?

‘It is her wedding too’ he says sensibly. ‘And he’s known the Devonshires for years’

‘I suppose’

‘Right Cora, Nicholas’ Dad calls, ‘let’s not mess about, get involved’

Nicholas takes my hand in his and leads me to where the rest of the party are shooting. He curls his arms around me and helps me point my gun to the sky, ‘just like old times hey?’

I giggle because I don’t know what else to say. It did remind me of the day Nicholas had asked me out. When he was the only man in my life. When things were so much easier.

I wish I could get back to that.

I look over to Dad who looks very pleased that his plan to cheer me up has worked. He gives me a small wink. I wink back, if only to please him.

Later in the afternoon, I retreat to the small cabin on the grounds where eggnog and warm snacks have been laid out for us to enjoy.

I take a sip of the eggnog, closing my eyes and enjoying its warm silky texture on my throat.

‘Is there anything else to drink?’ comes her squeaky, grating voice.

I don’t even want to open my eyes. But I have to.

‘There’s mulled wine’ I point, not bothering to offer to pour it for her.

Louisa shrugs and heads for the wine.

As much as I want to walk out and ignore her, the princess in me (and my father’s voice in my head) stops me.

‘So, you must be getting excited for the wedding’ I say.

‘There’s still a lot to do, working out where all the members of Jonathan’s family are going to sleep for one’

I nod, pretending to be interested.

‘Still, you’ll learn all about that soon enough’ she smiles sarcastically.

Does she know Nicholas had asked Dad for permission?

‘Not for a long time yet’ I smile back.

‘Are you sure about that?’

‘Yes…why?’

She runs her perfectly manicured finger over the rim of her glass, ‘I just wouldn’t be surprised if Nicholas chose our wedding day to pop the question’

‘Oh grow up Louisa’ I say, beginning to lose my temper.

She doesn’t flinch, but stays frustratingly calm, the smile fixed to her face, ‘you don’t know him at all do you?’

‘What is your problem with us?! Do you fancy him or something?’ I know it is out of line, but I can’t help it.

‘Oh please’ she laughs. ‘Nicholas is a pale imitation of Jonathan and he knows it’

‘That’s ridiculous’

‘Why do you think he’s so competitive with him, he’s constantly trying to live up to his big brother’

I clutch my glass tightly.

‘Don’t talk about him like that’

‘And now he has to live up to your ex too’, she sticks her bottom lip out tauntingly.

‘You don’t know anything about us’

Louisa steps towards me, ‘I’ve known those boys for years, I know how they work’

‘If they’re so bad, why are you marrying Jonathan?’

‘I’m at his level, you are not. Nicholas will eat you up and spit you out’

As I’m about to respond, to tell her how much I trust Nicholas, he walks in, a look of suspicion on his face.

‘Everything ok ladies?’

‘Fine’ I say quickly. ‘I was just telling Louisa how much I’m looking forward to the wedding next week’

He puts an arm around my shoulder, ‘it’s going to be a great day’

A look passes between them, not of passion like I thought, but of warning.

‘It should be fun’ Louisa says, placing down her glass and moving towards the door.

‘I can’t wait’, I say grimacing at her.

She leaves the cabin, pulling the door shut behind her.

‘Are you sure everything is ok’, Nicholas asks as soon as she leaves.

‘Yes…she was talking crap, that’s all’

‘About?’

‘About you. About us’ I look at the floor, wishing I hadn’t just admitted that.

‘What did she say?’, his eyes darken.

‘Just that you aren’t who I think you are, that you’ll “eat me up and spit me out”’

‘You don’t believe her?’

I hesitate, ‘no of course not, but I do wonder why she has it in for you’

‘She’s never liked me…and she’s deathly jealous of you’, he bends to my level, ‘that’s all it is’

I can’t help myself, I have to ask him, ‘Nick…you’re not trying to live up to my ex are you? Because you know you don’t need to!’

He curls his lips, like he’s insulted, disgusted even. ‘No Cora, I’m not’

‘Oh, well good’ I say, slightly taken aback.

‘Anyway’ he says, softening, ‘I came in here to talk to you about an environmental project my father’s starting…’

Nicholas proceeds to tell me all about his father’s new project involving home grown food on British land.

‘…so I was thinking with your background managing the estates as well as other things, you’d get involved?’

I had hundreds of requests for my patronage a year, and even more now that I’m the Princess of Wales. I chose them all carefully and made sure I was passionate about each of them. I can’t say this one was getting the blood pumping.

‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to work together just yet’

‘Why not?’, he looks crestfallen.

‘Because people will accuse me of favouring your cause for other reasons’

‘That didn’t matter to you when you were working with Ben’s Trust’ he says resentfully.

I flinch. The truth was I never worked with Ben’s Trust. Ben told me all about it of course, but my involvement with the Trust was nothing more than an excuse when I had to explain to Nicholas why I was inviting him to the Highland Fling.

‘That was different’ I lie. ‘And I’m not working with them now’

‘Please just consider it, ok?’ he says stroking my arm.

‘I will’ I lie again.

‘We’ll be spending the rest of our lives working together, might as well start now’ he says, thoroughly ending the discussion.

I want to argue my point but I don’t have the energy.

Instead I follow him out of the cabin, thinking about the fact that he spoken about marriage twice now before he’s even said he loves me.

Dunrobin Castle, Scotland

New Year’s Eve

Louisa has gone all out with the decoration of the castle for her wedding. The bannisters on the staircases are wrapped in holly and twinkling lights. Swathes of red and gold fabric drape from the ceilings and a band plays festive music in the foyer.

I have to give it to her, it’s magical. And the same can be said for Louisa herself. For as much as I don’t want to admit it, she looks beautiful.

As she and Jonathan walk back up the aisle, I admire her gown. Made from the finest lace and skimming gently over her slim figure, it frames her shoulders to highlight her doll-like face. She looks like elegance personified.

Shame the personality doesn’t match.

Nicholas walks behind them as best man, with the maid of honour, the ‘chocolate and orange’ Louisa-clone, Martha.

He grins at me brightly, for once seeming happy to be in his brother’s shadow. I return the gesture, glad to see him so relaxed.

It feels like a long wait for the evening reception to start. I sit with Jenny and our friends in the parlour watching the sun set through the glass doors.

‘Your wedding will be so much better than this’ Jenny says conspiratorially.

I laugh at her sudden bluntness, ‘this is pretty good, you have to admit’

‘Yes but your reception will be in a palace, that trumps a castle every time’

‘Oh I don’t know, I love it at Balmoral’

‘You won’t be able to travel from London for the wedding all the way to Balmoral for the reception…’

‘Why are we even talking about this?!’ I say, realising how much I don’t want to talk about my imaginary wedding.

‘Come on Cora, everyone knows you and Nicholas will be next’.

Jenny had changed her mind once again when I told her I was with Nicholas. Apparently we are perfect for each other after all.

Before I can affectionately tell her to shut up, the wedding planner hushes the room to make an announcement.

‘All those asked to partake in the official photographs are to report to the main hall in twenty minutes’ she says sternly.

I give Jenny my most despairing look.

‘Off you go’ she teases.

As much as I’d protested and as much I knew Louisa probably had, Nicholas insisted that I be in some of the official photographs. I was his girlfriend and date after all.

I leave reluctantly, making my way up the grand staircase to the east tower, where a round dressing room had been allocated for me to and Nicholas to get ready in.

Turning the little brass key that I’d been given, I enter the room and reach for my comb and hairspray that I’d left on the dresser. I smile at the sight of the vintage lace and silk emerald green dress that my mother had leant me hanging on the mirror.

Beside the mirror is the only window in the room. From way up here in the tower, I feel like I can see the whole galaxy. It’s beautiful.

I slip out of my day dress and put the evening gown on, as per Louisa’s strict instructions. My hair is another matter. After being in an up do all day, it has begun to sag. I take the bobby pins out, deciding to attempt to re-do it.

Clutching twenty of them in my hand while attempting to reposition my hair, they tumble from my grasp, scattering all over the floor.

‘Oh crap’ I mumble to myself, kneeling on the floor to retrieve them. ‘Where’s Annie when you need her?’

Under the dresser, I spot Nicholas’ bag hidden in the shadows.

Maybe it’s what Louisa said, maybe it’s my own doubt, but my curiosity overcomes me.

I unzip the main section of the bag and see nothing but Nicholas’ clothes. Patting my hand on top of them, I suddenly feel something suspiciously cube-like in shape.

It can’t be.

I carefully take out his shirt and unwrap it.

There in the middle is a black box.

Shit.

I shouldn’t open it, just like I shouldn’t have opened the bag in the first place. But I do.

The diamond dazzles me. It’s huge, bigger than any ring I’ve ever seen. Bigger than Louisa’s. I pull it out of the box and place it against my ring finger. It engulfs my whole hand.

He can’t seriously be doing this tonight. On his brother’s wedding day.

My heart is racing with panic.

I’m pulled out of my shock by the sound of laughter down stairs. I look at my watch, my twenty minutes is almost up.

My hair still hangs down in loose curls. I have no time to fix it now. I put the ring exactly how I found it and hurry out of the room, locking the door behind me.

When I get to the hall, everyone is waiting.

‘Sorry’ I say to Nicholas as I find my place beside him.

‘What were you doing up there?’

‘Oh just sorting my hair out…but I still made it on time!’ I joke.

‘Everyone knows when Louisa says twenty minutes, she means fifteen’ he says irritably.

He must just be nervous.

‘Oh I’m sorry’

‘Shouldn’t your hair be in some sort of style?’ he says, eying my loose tresses.

‘Sorry, style expert’ I say, trying to lighten him up.

Our conversation is interrupted by the wedding planner and the photographer shepherding us all into place for a group shot. I watch as Nicholas wrings his hands together.

I can’t let him go through with this.

As the reception gets underway, I pull Nicholas to one side, ‘can we talk?’

We go outside onto the grounds, the same place that Ben and I went on the night of the Highland Fling.

‘What’s the matter’ he says, holding himself to keep warm.

I don’t know where to start.

‘Nick, I think I know what you’re going to do tonight, and I can’t let you do it…’ I begin.

‘What am I going to do’ he looks confused.

I take a deep breath, ‘I found the ring’

He stays still, the cold air not even leaving his mouth. ‘You went through my things?’

‘No…well yes, but I knew what you were planning’

I just didn’t want to believe it.

‘Well that’s the surprise ruined’ he says bluntly.

‘Nick, I wanted to tell you not to do it’

‘Don’t call me Nick’

‘What?’ I say startled by the change of subject.

‘Don’t call me Nick. I hate it’ he says, looking past me.

‘Since when?!’

‘Since always’

‘Why are you only telling me now?’

‘How do you tell the girl you’re chasing that you hate the nickname she’s given you?’

‘Oh’

I feel deflated and confused at his sudden change of character. When I stopped things between us at the Highland Fling, he was so gracious, but this time, it couldn’t be more different.

‘I just think it’s a bit soon to be thinking about marriage’ I continue where I left off.

‘But it will happen eventually, why not do it now?’

‘Because I don’t want to’ I say, getting frustrated.

‘You don’t want to do it now, or you don’t want to marry me at all?’

‘I-’

‘Because you know I’m right for this Cora. Your Dad loves me; I get the rules, the traditions…’

What about “I love you”?

Ben never said it either.

He carries on, not letting me speak, ‘Ben Evans isn’t going to understand your future like I do’

‘This isn’t about him!’

‘Really? You know he probably just used you to promote that Trust of his?’

‘I WAS NEVER WORKING FOR HIS TRUST!’ I yell.

Nicholas is taken aback, by me losing my temper or by what I’ve just told him, I don’t know.

Suddenly he is calm and collected again, ‘how about we go and enjoy the party and talk about it later?’

‘Fine’ I nod, ‘give me five minutes’

He heads inside, leaving me in the cold. I’m confused and frustrated. A whirl of information is spinning in my head.

Why did he take it so badly?

Why does he keep bringing up that damn Trust?!

My mind hurtles back to the night of the Highland Fling:

“‘So how do you and Cora know each other?’, Nicholas asks.

I butt in before Ben can speak, ‘like I told you, we met at Wimbledon and I might be getting involved in Ben’s Trust’”

And then propels forward to the newspaper article that revealed mine and Ben’s relationship to the world:

“Sources reveal to us that the pair began dating last year after Cora began working with Evans’ charitable trust, the Marion and James Evans Tennis Trust.”

My breath catches in my throat. I’ve been so stupid.

I run back inside, my heels clattering on the floor. Nicholas is by the grand staircase still heading towards the hall for the reception, where the other two hundred guests are.

‘NICHOLAS!’ I shout, not caring who hears me.

He turns to me, ‘great, we can go in together…’

‘It was you wasn’t it?’ I say, panting from my sprint.

‘I’m sorry?’

I step closer to him, fury building, ‘you sold the story about Ben and I to the paper’

He laughs coldly, ‘don’t be silly, Cora, now come on, the party’s started’ . He grabs my arm but I snatch it away.

‘I was never working for Ben’s Trust, Nicholas’

‘This again?’

‘I told you I was going to work with Ben because I needed an excuse, you were the only person I told that to, and it just so happens that was how The Sun said we became close’

Nicholas stands there in silence.

‘I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid, I should’ve realised it was you’ I say shaking my head. ‘But how did you know we were even together?’

Finally his façade cracks, the charming man I thought I knew disappears, ‘you think I couldn’t see it at the Fling? You were all over each other’

‘But why would you want to ruin things for me?! If you hadn’t have sold that story, we would still be together!’

‘Don’t be so naïve! You and him were never going to work, I just quickened it up for you’

I want to punch him, slap him, anything.

‘You don’t know that’

‘Don’t tell me that you broke up because your affair was revealed’ he says smugly.

He is right.

‘What did you do it for? Do you even like me or want to be with me?’

‘Life isn’t a fairy tale, we will work well together, I’ll be a great consort for you, and in time we’ll learn to love each other’

That’s why he didn’t want to get intimate with me. He doesn’t even like me.

‘You’re ridiculous’ I whisper.

‘Look, whatever you think of me now, you’ll see I’m right eventually. All the complications that come with your life don’t suit a relationship like yours and Ben’s. Just look at your father and mother, and all the other failed marriages in your family. If we were to marry me, you know we’d never divorce’

I believe him. We would have the perfect royal marriage. On the outside at least.

It’s not like I have a better offer.

‘Just think about it’ he says. ‘Come and find me later’

He wonders off to the reception like all he’s done wrong is left the lid off the toothpaste.

I can’t face all those people, so I head up the staircase to my dressing room in the tower. When I get up there, I slam the door shut and lock it.

I should be angrier, Nicholas has ruined everything. But in my heart, I know he didn’t. I ruined everything.

I close my eyes to think when there is a sudden tapping on the window. I ignore the noise and try to un-jumble my thoughts. The tapping continues, louder this time.

I walk towards the window hesitantly. It’s dark outside, but as I get closer I see something that makes me scream for my life. A man’s face is looking right at me.

I back away from the window, ready to run to my protection officers who are waiting in the hallway outside.

‘Your royal highness, are you ok?’ one of then says at the door.

But the man begins to shout through the window, ‘Cora! It’s ok, it’s me! It’s just me!’

I step forward, and he continues, ‘open the window!’. It’s only then that I recognise his dark eyes.

My heart leaps.

I pull the old iron window wide open, and Ben climbs inside.

‘What the hell are doing here?!’ I whisper and then shout through the door, ‘I’m fine, just a spider!’

‘Nice to see you too!’

‘Ben, are you crazy, how did you even get up here?’, I stick my head out of the window and look down at the dizzying drop below.

‘It’s was pretty easy, I climbed out of one of the lower floor windows and up the ledges on the outside’

‘You’re insane!’ I say despairingly.

‘I know’

I can’t quite take in that he is standing here in front of me, clad in his best dinner suit, that’s marked with dirt from the castle walls.

‘How…why…?’ I can’t even express all the questions I have.

‘Why don’t you sit down’ he says, and I comply as my legs are like jelly.

‘Your father called me this morning. He said that he thought that Nicholas might be proposing to you tonight’ he looks down at my hand to see if I’m wearing a ring. ‘He said that despite the fact that he likes Nicholas, he hasn’t seen you happy since we were together…’

I want to cry, I can’t believe Dad called him.

‘He thought that we should talk before you agreed to anything. So I got here as fast as I could. The security had no problem letting me in, Wimbledon champ and all that. I saw you heading this way, but there were too many people around to go knocking on all the doors, so I thought I’d just go from the outside and peep through the windows’

I’m too stunned even to call him a peeping Tom.

‘I should’ve known the princess would be in the highest bloody tower’

‘But why did you come at all? I thought you were over us’

He tuts, ‘because I love you’

He loves me. It sounds so beautiful coming off his tongue.

‘We’re not engaged’

‘I figured that much out’ he laughs.

‘Ben…he was the one who leaked the story about us’ I immediately regret telling him.

‘He did what?!’ he eyes widen in anger. ‘That fucking little toe rag! I told you he was no good! Where is he?…’ he pounces at the door, but I jump up and block his way.

‘Don’t be stupid!’

‘He can’t do this to you and get away with it!’

I’m suddenly furious. At Ben. At Nicholas. At myself.

‘I’m not a damsel in distress! You can’t just climb up a tower to come and save me!’

‘I’m not…’

‘You left!’ I realise I’m shouting, ‘You left me, you can’t just waltz in here and tell me you love me and expect me to fall into your arms. If you really loved me, why didn’t you tell me months ago, why did you let me believe it was over?’

Ben is shouting now too, ‘because you were with him! I wasn’t going to ruin things for you without knowing how you felt’

‘You must’ve known how much I love you!’ I push him backwards.

He stops for a moment. This wasn’t how I had imagined myself telling him that.

‘I hoped, I didn’t know’ he says.

‘Nicholas thinks I should marry him because we won’t have the complication of loving each other. He thinks it’d be a perfect royal marriage’

‘And what do you think?’

‘That he’s right, it would be easier’

‘Is that what you want?’ he steps towards me, ‘an easy life with no arguments, no one to tell you when you’re wrong, when you’re being an idiot?’

‘I-’

And then he’s kissing me, one hand is through my hair, the other is clutching at my skirt. We back up against the door, his lips are on my face and my neck.

‘God, I’ve missed you’ he mumbles.

I grab his face and bring it back to mine, kissing him as deeply as I can, before pushing him off me.

‘I was scared of losing you’ I say suddenly. ‘That’s why I didn’t want anyone to know about us, I was never ashamed of you’

He stays quiet, letting me speak.

‘I saw my parents break up, and I’ve always thought it was the press that got in the way, I didn’t want that for us’

‘You couldn’t have hidden me away forever’

‘I know, but I thought the less people that knew, the better chance we’d have’

He runs his hand through my hair, ‘it doesn’t work like that, Cora’

‘I’m sorry…I was wrong’

‘I’m sorry too … and thank you for finally admitting to being wrong’ he can’t help but tease me, even now. ‘So what now?’

‘Now, I think I need to sort this all out myself’

In the process of falling in love, being heartbroken, then being with a man who never really wanted me to be myself, I’d lost who I was.

The old me would cringe at how weak I’ve been. I didn’t need any man to save me, not even Ben. I needed to act like the Queen I would one day become.

‘I just need some time, if you can be patient’

‘I’ve waited this long, I can wait a bit longer’. He kisses me on the cheek and goes to leave – through the door this time. ‘Oh, you look incredible by the way’

I blush despite myself, brushing down my dress and messed hair, ‘thank you’

Now alone again, I gather my belongings and text Jenny, and ask one of my protection officers to put everything in the car.

When I get to the entrance of the hall, the noise is overwhelming. Music is blaring and the guests are taking part in a Scottish jig. Apart from Nicholas, who is standing against the wall watching Jonathan with a disgusted look of envy on his face. I recall the conversation we’d had on our first date about how competitive the brothers were, and then conversations with Louisa, who kept hinting at something to me.

It’s only now that I realise why Nicholas had pursued me so hard. It wasn’t the money or the status he was after – he had both of those. His motivation was purely his life-long competition with his brother. After all, what could top marrying a duchess? Marrying a princess.

He catches my eye and I beckon him over to just outside the hall. I feel more in control and more calm than I have in months.

‘Have you had time to think?’ he says, a hint of desperation clear in his voice.

‘I’m afraid you won’t get the chance to upstage your brother tonight’ I say. ‘See, your offer was good, I’m not getting any younger and the chance to be guaranteed a life-long marriage is tempting…’

‘Great, maybe in a few mon-’

I put my hand up to stop him, ‘please don’t interrupt me. It is tempting, if the sight of my future husband didn’t make me want to vomit over his perfect suede shoes. I would rather spend the rest of my life alone than spend it with you’

I smile at him sweetly. Princesses don’t punch.

‘You will never speak to me or any of my family again, do you understand?’

He looks at me but doesn’t say a word.

I turn to leave, but turn back around for a moment ‘oh and Nick, maybe next time do some research before you buy the ring, because I fucking despise diamonds’

Maybe my language isn’t very princess-like, but it’s Cora through and through.

January 29th, 2166

I’m twenty-eight today. And I’m by myself.

Sitting in my apartment in Clarence House, I open the birthday cards given to me by my family and friends. I’d spent the past month alone, getting myself together, working hard, and trying not to call Ben.

I had told Dad and Mum everything that had happened. Dad suggested we lock Nicholas in the Tower of London and Mum proclaimed that she never did like him. We’d also sat together and talked for hours about their divorce. And about how to have a relationship in the spotlight.

They had both assured me that the good times were worth all the hassle that came afterwards. I was still scared, of course I was, but I realised taking a risk would be worth it. It was ok if it failed, I would be ok.

I prop up my cards on the side table next to the picture I have of King William and Queen Catherine. I put it up there to remind myself that they took a chance once too.

A knock comes at the door and I hurry over to open it, fixing my hair as I go.

‘Hello’ he says.

‘Hello’

I haven’t seen him in a month, but it feels like forever.

‘Happy birthday’ Ben says, clutching something rectangular in his arms.

‘You didn’t get me a present did you?’

He laughs that deep beautiful laugh, ‘no, not quite’

He places the packet down on the counter and unwraps it.

‘Lemon drizzle cake!’ I say happily.

‘I hope it doesn’t upset you, you know, being your tradition with your granddad and everything. I just thought you’d like to continue it…with me maybe’

‘I love it Ben’ I say, trying not to be a total idiot and start crying.

I go to kiss him on the cheek, but he turns his head purposefully and catches my lips with his. It’s like we haven’t been apart.

‘And I love you’ I add.

‘You’re alright too I suppose’ he says.

I slap him on the shoulder, ‘don’t be mean’

‘Ok ok, I love you, despite the fact that you drive me absolutely insane’

‘Good’

‘Good’ he mimics.

He cuts a slice of the cake and gives it to me, one slice of many more to come, I can only hope.

‘I’m sorry I don’t have an extravagant gift for you’ he says, stuffing the cake into his mouth.

‘I have everything I want’ I smile.

‘Look at you with the cheesy lines!’ he laughs.

‘Shut up!’ I say, burying my head in his shoulder.

He wraps his arm around my waist, keeping me there, ‘so you weren’t expecting a diamond?’, he raises his eyebrows tauntingly.

‘No I wasn’t, I would throw it back at you’, despite my attitude, I don’t move from his side, and he doesn’t let me.

‘Quite the model princesses aren’t you? Princess Cora, Rejecter of Diamonds, Potty Mouthed Queen of the People’

‘You better get used to it, princesses aren’t all what they’re cracked up to be’ I snigger.

‘Don’t I know it’

As it turns out, Ben never did give me a diamond ring.

Because on Boxing Day the following year, he gave me an emerald one.

#katefiction #royal fanfiction

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garadinervi · 2 years

Photo

Xenakis révolution. Le bâtisseur du son, (documentary/biography, 2022, 56', in French w/ French, Italian, English, Spanish, and Polish sub, and German dubbed), Directed by Stéphane Ghez, Arte / Cinétévé, 2022. Feat. Mâkhi Xenakis, Pascal Dusapin, George Aperghis, Jean-Michel Jarre, Trio Xenakis/Collectif Xenakis [Adélaïde Ferrière, Emmanuel Jacquet, Rodolphe Théry, and Jean-Baptiste Bonnard, Othman Louati, Emmanuel Curt]

(image: Xenakis à Persepolis, 1971. Photo: © Mali Letrange / Coll. Famille I. Xenakis)

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wikitopx · 4 years

Link

Here are the top 500 German Names!

[toc]

1. Top 500 German Names

Girls Boys

Emma

Emilia

Hannah / Hanna

Mia

Sofia / Sophia

Lina

Mila

Marie

Ella

Lea

Anna

Clara / Klara

Leni

Lena

Frieda / Frida

Luisa / Louisa

Leonie

Emily / Emilie

Mathilda / Matilda

Charlotte

Ida

Johanna

Amelie

Lia / Liah / Lya

Sophie / Sofie

Lilly / Lilli

Lara

Maja / Maya

Nele / Neele

Greta

Laura

Lotta

Sarah / Sara

Juna / Yuna

Nora

Melina

Paula

Elisa

Pia

Marlene

Victoria / Viktoria

Alina

Julia

Elena

Lisa

Mara / Marah

Mira

Helena

Pauline

Tilda

Luna

Isabella

Maria

Antonia

Finja / Finnja

Anni

Eva

Thea

Elina

Romy

Luise / Louise

Isabell / Isabel / Isabelle

Zoe / Zoé

Fiona

Merle

Josephine / Josefine

Hailey

Elli / Elly

Carla / Karla

Paulina

Martha / Marta

Malia

Lucy / Lucie

Mina

Rosalie

Jana

Emely / Emelie

Milena

Valentina

Carlotta / Karlotta

Maila / Mayla

Theresa / Teresa

Katharina

Magdalena

Annika

Nina

Amalia

Elisabeth

Olivia

Jule

Luana

Liya

Lotte

Emmi / Emmy

Amy

Linda

Ronja

Amelia

Melissa

Leila / Leyla

Stella

Jasmin / Yasmin

Annabell / Annabelle

Alma

Miriam

Chiara / Kiara

Aaliyah / Aliya

Freya

Malina

Liana

Anastasia

Lene

Franziska

Liv

Milla

Ylvi / Ylvie

Alicia

Ava

Rosa

Zoey

Marleen / Marlen

Alessia

Elif

Amira

Aurelia

Lucia

Ela

Kira / Kyra

Aria / Arya

Diana

Selina

Elise

Evelyn / Evelin / Eveline

Ariana

Jette

Marla

Alea

Enna

Lynn / Linn

Helene

Livia

Mariella

Alexandra

Carolina / Karolina

Edda

Tessa

Linnea

Sina / Sinah

Vanessa

Aurora

Vivien / Vivienne

Milana

Cataleya

Talia / Thalia

Eliana

Leana

Malea

Mona

Aylin / Eileen / Aileen / Ayleen

Laila / Layla

Liliana

Alice

Jara / Yara

Jonna

Mathea / Matea

Lorena

Alisa

Carolin / Caroline / Karoline

Nela

Kaja / Kaya / Caja

Julie

Melia

Samira

Alissa / Alyssa

Daria

Giulia

Smilla

Amina

Elsa

Heidi

Lana

Valerie

Ayla

Medina

Zeynep

Henriette

Amilia

Leticia / Letizia

Malou

Annelie

Hilda

Noemi

Selma

Aleyna

Elin

Liara

Lenja / Lenya

Bella

Hedi / Hedy

Levke

Nika

Celine

Svea

Veronika

Celina

Ruby

Fenja

Hermine

Ina

Larissa

Tabea

Felicitas

Jolina / Joelina

Marina

Valeria

Azra

Michelle

Rebecca

Nisa

Annalena

Alva

Elea

Melody

Palina

Flora

Maira / Meyra

Mariam / Maryam

Natalie / Nathalie

Nala / Nahla

Alena

Cleo

Eleni

Malin

Alya

Felina

Florentine

Helen

Lou

Naila / Nayla

Nelly / Nelli

Christina

Käthe

Leona

Alia

Marlena

Tamara

Tara

Angelina

Carina / Karina

Dalia

Hedda

Leia / Leya

Meryem

Anne

Holly

Madita

Fabienne

Jella

Mailin / Maylin

Mathilde

Enya

Kate

Lilia

Sena

Joleen

Clea

Liesbeth / Lisbeth

Fine / Fiene

Lenia

Sonja

Xenia

Eleonora

Melisa

Enni / Enny

Hira

Adriana

Dana

Defne

Lola

Miray

Tamina

Nicole

Asya

Esther

Josie / Josy

Naomi

Cecilia

Claire

Dilara

Selin

Enie

Fritzi

Leonora

Melek

Miley

Wilma

Esila

Esma

Feline

Rieke

Ada

Amara

Cara

Estelle

Gerda

Lilian / Lillian

Viola

Adelina

Janne

Philine

Tiana

Ivy

Juliana

Kimberly / Kimberley

Lieselotte

Malena

Delia

Enisa

Joana / Joanna

Kim

Ellen

Evelina

Felicia

Liyana

Lilith

Liz

Amanda

Anouk

Eleanor

Samantha

Talea

Arina

Dua

Emilija

Eslem

Irma

Maike / Meike

Nike

Rita

Adele

Alisha

Iva

Josefin / Josephin

Margarete

Romina

Ylva

Elaine

Helin

Joline / Joeline

Josephina / Josefina

Madeleine

Nila

Ophelia

Philippa

Abigail

Anja

Melinda

Scarlett

Toni / Tony

Erna

Gloria

Grace

Jade

Jolie

Madlen / Madleen

Marit

Melanie

Tuana

Annemarie

Debora / Deborah

Jenna

Kiana

Liva

Minna

Shirin

Zofia

Chloe

Fatima

Felia

Friederike

Isa

Jasmina

Jolien

Leandra

Nia

Salome

Giuliana

Inga

Josefa / Josepha

Judith

Megan

Mika

Nea

Neyla

Runa

Ruth

Sunny

Tala

Abby

Alba

Amaya

Anisa

Bianca / Bianka

Eliza

Gabriela

Janna

Jessika / Jessica

Maileen / Mayleen

Natalia

Soraya

Verena

Asel

Cassandra / Kassandra

Eda

Elenor

Julina

Kayla

Lilou

Lydia

Maggy

Meva

Naemi

Penelope

Rahel

Violetta

Alara

Caitlin / Caitlyn

Elis

Ilayda

Judy

Juliane

Sila

Vera

Anita

Charlotta

Evi

Henrieke / Henrike

Jamila

Janina

Ria

Sarina

Stina

Zara

Zuzanna

Zümra

Beyza

Cosima

Ema

Florentina

Ines

Jona / Jonah

Kalea

Katerina

Klea

Masal

Milina

Nilay

Skadi

Tarja

Tina

Charlie / Charly

Franka

Hanne

Hilde

Joy

Joyce

Luzi / Luzie

Marisa

Mary