A/N: Welcome to the freaking LONGEST chapter I have ever written. Yes, you are about to read over TWENTY TWO THOUSAND words, so get comfortable, grab your hot cocoa if you are on the northern hemisphere, your caipirinhas if you are on the southern, and let us get started.
(just a quick note: Believe it or not, this and the previous chapter were supposed to be ONE chapter - terrifying, I know - because that is where I wanted the story to be when I planned this update. But as you can see this chapter is way longer than expected. Anyway, as you have seen in previous chapters, this one also explores the passage of time and the interactions between Colin/Pen, fans, and so on.
It is important to clarify that the parts only in italic describe interviews they filmed during the promotional tour I mentioned in earlier chapters.)
"Why are they making me go through this?"
Colin attempted to stifle his laughter with his hand as Kate and Thomas glanced at her with empathy.
Glaring furiously at Colin, she exclaimed, "I'm serious! I hate popping balloons!"
Colin's laughter intensified, but he moved his hand slightly away from his face to avoid pricking himself with a needle, while Kate also eyed her balloon nervously.
"Okay, let's do it together then," Thomas calmly suggested, showcasing why he was chosen to lead the cast.
The two women nodded, but Colin stared intently at his blue balloon, seemingly on the verge of popping it.
"One," Thomas began, grabbing his green balloon. "Two, three!" he yelled, tightly closing his eyes as he pierced the plastic with the needle.
Four balloons burst with a loud pop, showering them with falling paper that softly rustled on the ground. Thomas, Kate, and Colin quickly reached for the interview cards, accompanied by Penelope's sharp gasp.
To his right, Colin saw her craning her neck, blinking rapidly and shielding her eyes with her fingers, a clear sign of discomfort.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Um," she said, rubbing her eyes and lowering her head. "I think something got in my eye when I popped the balloon," she mumbled.
The card lay forgotten in his hand as he watched, worried, as she rubbed at her eyes, her face screwed up in pain.
"Do you need help?" He asked.
"No," she mumbled, a frown playing on her lips, "I think I got it," she declared, her eyes fluttering open before snapping shut, "Or not."
A little humorously, Colin turned to her, saying, "Let me see," and then, placing both hands on either side of her head, he leaned in to examine the damage. Using his thumbs, he wiped the colourful paper off her face and instructed, "Try opening your eyes."
She complied, and he observed her left eye was red and irritated. "Yeah, it's still stinging," she said, then squeezed her eyes shut.
"No, wait," he said, his voice a low murmur, and she kept her eyes open, staring at him before he leaned even closer, his breath warm on her face as he gently blew on her eyes. Three times he repeated the motion, then examined her left eye, finding it clear of any foreign body. "Better now?"
She stared at him intently for a moment before a noncommittal "um-hum," and they held that gaze a beat too long until Thomas cleared his throat.
As the duo quietly turned, their seats creaking slightly, Thomas caught the camera's eye, winking and saying, "Nothing to see here, folks," a sly smirk stretching his lips.
.༘ Fa loratheexplorer
EXCUSE ME
Lilian is waiting for the sword and the heart swodndheart
loratheexplorer um. when was that interview recorded
it's always rainy in delulutown loranator
Okay i can't do this this is me waving the white flag
Lizzie redfeatherington
loranator the you from before was you trying not to ship them?
it's always rainy in delulutown loranator
redfeatherington be quiet
Dan lorasdaniella
I knew they would be alright
wes. kingofsnh
lorasdaniella they've been friends for years it's not like a few people online would change anything
Jade englishmansbiceps
kingofsnh lorasdaniella this interview was recorded weeks ago tho
Dan lorasdaniella
englishmansbiceps kingofsnh oh okay i didn't realize that
Jade englishmansbiceps
kingofsnh lorasdaniella yeah they recorded a bunch of interviews beforehand they'll probably release them this week and the next bc of the premiere
wes. kingofsnh
lorasdaniella englishmansbiceps yeah but the bbc clips are from today and they're fine
Jade englishmansbiceps
polins really falling hard for the pr huh
Uma bridgertun
englishmansbiceps i mean am i crazy or did their eyes look puffy today
Jade englishmansbiceps
bridgertun yup
Maria Eduarda dudiiiiinha2004
Kate looked
️Trish dorjorie4llifee
dudiiiiinha2004 her chemistry with Thomas tho
Maria Eduarda dudiiiiinha2004
dorjorie4llifee I know i wonder if they had a thing?
️Trish dorjorie4llifee
dudiiiiinha2004 my man filming her and anthony to get back at him
Harriet colilns
I have a problem bc ever since colin said he was the one who was rejected i can't stop seeing it
‧ K ‧ bladesandhearts
colilns THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HER
Harriet colilns
bladesandhearts I KNOW
‧ K ‧ bladesandhearts
colilns I don't get it? penelope ily but what's wrong with you
val featheringtonlady
Pen looking like fire and he looking like he's homeless the universe finally getting back at that balding man
Bree briannaroth
featheringtonlady about time
Joana JJ94
briannaroth here's to hoping she rejected his ass for good
val featheringtonlady
JJ94 here's to hoping all the nepo baby bridgerton men stay away from these gorgeous women
Indra d0r_i3u5
okay can we finally start talking about the movie and not those two
j. mandolord
d0r_i3u5 seriously thomas said so many interesting things who cares about them
pat is on vacation cowpersblondehair
i look at cressida and then at penelope and think: colin are you insane
Anto snhstonio
cowpersblondehair how long until you all realise it's all acting and none of these people are required to have feelings for each other
Rotten Tomatoes Rottentomatoes
The first reviews are in for #TheEastDynasty - it's Certified Fresh at 97% on the Tomatometer, with 35 reviews: /m/the_sword_and…
Kithy is tired dorsetth0mas
EVERYBODY SHUT UP WHILE I'M WINNING
ASH dorieussw1fe
dorsetth0mas the breath of relief that left my body
Kithy is tired dorsetth0mas
dorieussw1fe 97% WE'RE GOOD
Riley Lawrence rileylawrence
#TheEastDynasty begs the question: why have we settled for so many poor book adaptations before? Action packed, emotionally charged and breathtaking, The Sword and the Heart: The East Dynasty is a promising beginning to a beloved series.
Camy Brooks cambb8
rileylawrence social media embargo has lifted one week before the premiere? oh you have my attention
FLAMING HEARS '04 kingsofthewests
the embargo has lifted so i came here just to say MARRY ME ANTHONY BRIDGERTON
coleen nuclearcolll
colin bridgerton and penelope featherington that's all
lana•the sword and the heart in 7 days ! heartsofnoras
nuclearcolll EXPLAIN
coleen nuclearcolll
heartsofnoras can't say much but if you think people are talking about them now it's gonna be ten times worse next week
kelly ladyoftheeasy
SNH embargo lifted and not a single negative review in sight i hope anyone that ever spoke badly about anthony or anyone from the cast chokes
The following week passed by in a blur of activity and anxiety. However, she found solace in the fact that she felt more at peace with herself and with Colin than she had in a long time. Ultimately, he was right—no matter what they said or did, everyone was still talking about her. The difference now was that they were also criticising him. And while it was not what she wanted, at least it served as a reminder that she was not alone.
In the end, she decided to take a complete break from social media. It seemed like the best choice, especially with the upcoming movie premiere. She had grown accustomed to people criticising her appearance, but if she encountered the same negativity towards her work, she honestly didn't know how she would react.
And that's where she found herself mentally—staring at the only gown available for the premiere. It was an oversized, dark brown dress that she absolutely despised. Despite being relatively high in the cast and crew's hierarchy for selecting designer dresses for the night (probably behind only Kate, Cressida, and Charlotte), she somehow ended up with the worst options. But she wanted to think it was the styles themselves she didn't like, and not that they'd deliberately given her the worst options available. Unfortunately, she couldn't do much about it since she hadn't even received payment for the movie yet. Affording a stylist was out of the question, and Mrs Varley's help could only go so far.
She couldn't help but expect the jokes that would inevitably flood the internet about her appearance resembling a brown garbage bag. Reluctantly, she picked up the dress and sighed, resigning herself to endure it as long as her acting wasn't criticised.
Just then, her phone rang. She placed the dress back on the bed and looked at the screen, her eyebrows furrowing upon seeing her neighbour's name.
"Hello?" she answered. "Lisa, is everything okay?"
"It is, don't worry darling," the woman replied, her deep voice dragging calmly, "it's just that there was a large package delivered on your name today, it's on the lobby, I thought I should tell you before someone decides to steal it, you know how it is."
Penelope frowned, unable to recall ordering anything online, let alone something large. "Oh, alright, thank you."
"No worries," the woman replied, "Have fun tonight," she chirped, the dial tone abruptly replacing her voice.
Penelope stared at her phone, feeling perplexed. Finally, she decided to rush downstairs, consumed by curiosity. Since her humble building lacked a concierge, she assumed the package would be left on the communal area floor. Luckily, it was still there when she arrived, confirming Lisa's words.
Before her lay a colossal silver box, far too extravagant for anything she could afford to order. She approached cautiously, as if unsure it was meant for her. Then, she noticed a small, cream-coloured rectangular envelope on the lid. Crouching down, she reached for it and opened the envelope to read the message inside.
"For that girl who's had a rough couple of weeks.
-G. "
Confused by the enigmatic note, she proceeded to open the box, ignoring the fact that she was in the midst of a shared space. Her eyes widened in awe as she beheld the sight—a stunning fabric adorned with countless silver sequins, shimmering even in the dim lighting.
She quickly closed the lid and made her way back to her flat, eager to take the dress out of the box and admire its entire design. It boasted a deep V-neck collar and a tailored waistline, showcasing the soft, flowing fabric that gracefully cascaded downwards. The sequins on the gown glimmered, capturing the sunlight that filtered through her flat, and reflecting a kaleidoscope of colours onto her walls.
Undoubtedly, it was one of the most extravagant dresses she had ever seen, and if she were being honest, one of the most beautiful as well. It reminded her of her childhood when she used to marvel at the larger-than-life actresses donning eye-catching outfits at the Academy Awards, secretly wishing she could be one of them. However, now she couldn't help but feel ridiculous. Considering the current circumstances, it would be absurd for her to wear something so flashy.
She carefully draped the dress over the back of her living room chair, stealing one last glance at it before heading back to her room, where she had left her phone.
Penelope:Gen, Hi
Penelope:How are you?
Penelope:I hope everything is good.
She winced at her own awkwardness. But she couldn't help it; it seemed like she had zero social skills when it came to anyone who wasn't a close friend of hers—which was exactly the problem. There was only one person she knew with a name starting with "G" who knew her size perfectly, and she wasn't particularly close to Penelope. So maybe she was going crazy, maybe it was some sort of anonymous stylist she had never heard of before.
Penelope:Can I ask you something?
Penelope:I know it's weird
Penelope:…by any chance… did you send a dress to my address?
Genevieve:Of course
Penelope raised an eyebrow. Alright, so she wasn't losing her mind.
Genevieve:Did you like it?
Penelope:I did but
Penelope:Are you making outfits for the entire cast? I had no idea
Genevieve:Of course not
Genevieve:I made one just for you
The girl almost dropped her phone, utterly bewildered by the situation.
Penelope:But why?
Genevieve:how is the dress search going for you
Unintentionally, Penelope's gaze shifted to the brown dress on her bed, which still resembled a trash bag even when no one was wearing it.
Genevieve:if you find another one you love more don't worry about it
Genevieve:I just pictured this design and thought it'd look great on you
Genevieve:but if you didn't like it it's alright
Penelope:no i loved it
Penelope:i really did
Penelope:but i really don't have the money
Genevieve:?
Genevieve:it's a gift it's yours
Penelope:Gen i look like im ignorant but i know this is expensive
Genevieve:just tell everyone it's a Delacroix original when they ask what you're wearing
Genevieve:that's all the payment i need
Penelope:…okay
Penelope took a deep breath and went back to the living room, where she could see the dress Genevieve had made for her. Her heart fluttered upon seeing it, but she still couldn't help feeling silly.
Genevieve:but don't feel like you have to wear it
Genevieve:i just really think it will look beautiful on you
Genevieve:to answer your question
Genevieve:I was around when you were filming.
Genevieve:the others stylists don't know yet what they're missing
Her heart skipped a beat again. It was odd to realise that someone she thought was indifferent actually had faith in her. Looking at the dress again and the way it shone in the light, Penelope finally decided to have some faith in herself as well.
Throughout his career, Colin went to numerous movie premieres and award ceremonies. As time went on, they became less intimidating, but, he had to admit that The Sword and the Heart London premiere was a big event, even for his standards.
Amidst the flashes and cameras, he simply waved and smiled, hoping to get through it quickly. The truth was, that day would mark a definite change, whether they all liked it or not. Their movie would officially premiere in most countries, meaning all of their work—both the good and the bad—would be out in the world for everyone to dissect, scrutinise, and tear apart. Thankfully, all the early reviews seemed to be favourable, yet he was well aware that the worst was yet to come.
"Don't you look dashing tonight?" Agatha's impressed voice interrupted his thoughts. She wore a long velvet blood red dress adorned with large golden flowers, and she studied his outfit from head to toe, as if he was the one in the fancy attire between the two of them.
A smile stretched across his face as he smoothed down his long, beige coat, murmuring, "You too."
She seemed satisfied with his answer and stood by his side, posing for the photographers to capture their images. "So, where is your companion tonight?" she asked.
Colin paused, momentarily surprised by the question. He immediately knew who she was referring to, but it struck him as odd that Agatha Danbury was asking about it.
"Um," he cleared his throat, contemplating what to tell her while surveying the faces and glamour surrounding them.
Everyone glowed, their flashy gowns and designer suits shimmering under the lights, a vibrant contrast to the red carpet and the towering wall of yellow and orange roses, echoing the theme of their trilogy's first film. A cacophony of noise filled the air—the murmur of conversations, peals of laughter, the roar of excited fans, and the shouts of photographers vying for the best position. It should have all felt lively to him, but every second without seeing Penelope amidst the crowd made everything feel incredibly grey and lifeless.
"That's what I would like to know," he finally replied.
With a knowing smile playing on her lips, Agatha reached out, grasped his arm, and then pointed a finger of admonition directly at him.
"You know," she said, "you two caused the biggest pre-release mess I've ever seen, and that's saying something."
Colin froze, trying not to appear too scared in case a photographer captured the moment. He couldn't deny that he was waiting for her, or even Charlotte, to confront him for the stunts he pulled, but he never expected it to happen at the premiere and in front of everyone.
"It was nice," she added with a shrug and a raised eyebrow, relishing in his confused expression. "To see things shaken up for once," she smirked, as they turned for another round of pictures.
He tried not to show his bewilderment on his face, and just as he was about to come up with a reply, his brother, for once in his life, came to his rescue.
"Ah!" Agatha exclaimed happily as their director approached, dressed in a black suit with white details and his hair styled to the side. She hugged him, then took his face in her hands. "Now I see why people always say you should've been an actor!"
Anthony rolled his eyes at her. "You look fantastic too, Agatha, in case it wasn't obvious."
She smiled, satisfied, and the trio turned to another photographer as she remarked, "It is obvious, but it's always nice to be reminded." Then she glanced at Colin and added, "Your brother seems to have learned that recently, I believe?"
Colin pressed his lips together, closing his eyes momentarily. It was going to be a long, long night.
Anthony merely glared pointedly at his brother, scoffing, but before he could add a cutting remark, he too was thankfully distracted by another newcomer.
"Kate!" Agatha called excitedly. "Come, join us." She motioned for the woman to approach and be part of their expanding group in the pictures.
The director seemed to have frozen in place, blinking slowly as if he was having a hard time understanding something, as he watched the actress walk in their direction. The cameras flashed, capturing every movement of Kate as she walked. Her long, shiny curls danced around her face, and the soft, fuzzy teal fur coat brushed against the silky navy fabric of her dress.
"Why is it so cold tonight?" Kate asked as she approached, rubbing her arms covered by the coat.
"Tell me about it. Between you and me, I'm terribly jealous of your coat," Agatha whispered.
A smile touched Kate's lips as she turned to Colin; his greeting was brief and polite, but Anthony remained speechless, his eyebrows raised in surprise, and mouth hanging open. Upon realising everyone was waiting, a nervous cough escaped the man's lips as he smoothed his perfectly tailored suit.
"My jacket's rather thin; I doubt it'll do much good," he said.
Agatha and Colin rolled their eyes while Kate looked at him in confusion. Then, all four of them turned to take a picture together.
"You Bridgertons are really something else," Agatha muttered quietly as they all smiled for the cameras.
Not allowing his indignation to transpire on his face, Colin continued with a fake smile on his face as he said, "Us? What didIdo?" The producer glanced at him briefly before he clarified, "Today, what did I do today?"
"Nothing yet, but the night is young. I'm sure you'll come up with something," Agatha said cynically.
Kate couldn't help but chuckle at the woman's cutting remark, but her amusement vanished when Agatha gestured for them to switch places in the photograph. Kate ended up between the Bridgerton brothers, with Anthony right beside her. The strong, woody chypre scent of his usual perfume filled the air, a fragrance that now always reminded her of him. It was odd how olfactory memory worked; at first, the smell instantly ignited her anger, but now, it almost immediately transported her back to their shooting days, bringing a rush of frustration, happiness, and the sense of discovery that those days represented.
As they posed for the photo, Anthony placed a hand on her back, and the warmth of his touch through her dress sent a strange tingle down her spine. When she glanced at him afterwards, she found him already looking back, his dark brown eyes adorned with a golden rim, fixed on her with an intensity that took her breath away.
"We're in damage control mode, I see."
Anthony and Kate both startled, suddenly aware of their surroundings, as they turned to Charlotte, who arched an eyebrow before shifting her attention to Agatha.
"Finally, I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up," the producer remarked, letting just a hint of judgement slip into her voice.
Charlotte glared at her for a moment before scoffing. "I don't think I can leave you all unsupervised any longer, can I?" she asked, casting a pointed glance at Colin as if to make her point.
In his defence, Colin only winced slightly under her scrutiny, quickly putting on a fake smile as she positioned herself between him and Agatha for another picture.
The golden satin of Charlotte's dress shimmered, the tiny red flowers embroidered on the hem a stark contrast to the larger bloom on her shoulder. In a way, it seemed like she and Agatha had coordinated their outfits, and Colin wouldn't put it past them.
"And where is our lead actor?" Charlotte asked as she managed to take the picture and survey the crowd at the same time.
"He's running a bit late," Kate answered immediately, oblivious to the glance Anthony gave her. "Apparently, there was a car accident on his way here, and the traffic is a complete nightmare."
"Really?" Agatha asked, horrified.
"He didn't mention anything to me," Anthony commented, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Actually, he did mention that I should give all of you a heads up," Kate mumbled, her eyes darting away, a blush creeping up her neck as she tried to avoid his gaze.
Anthony's brows furrowed even more as he looked at the side of her face, realising he never knew the two were that close. It shouldn't surprise him, considering they were the main actors and should try to form a connection. And, of course, it wasn't any of his business either.
"So that's what it was," Charlotte commented. "I thought it was just my driver being incompetent."
Agatha shook her head slightly. "You say that about all your drivers."
"Because they always are, aren't they?" Charlotte replied matter-of-factly.
Meanwhile, Colin, silently wishing to escape the stressful group conversation and the incessant photo-taking, was startled by the sudden, deafening roar of fans and cameras just a short distance away.
"That must be him," Agatha said, and they all looked to see if the newcomer, who had the crowd in a frenzy, was indeed the movie's star.
But it wasn't Thomas.
In a matter of seconds, Colin's eyes locked onto her figure, even from a distance. It puzzled him how anyone else could fail to recognise her immediately, because she was glowing.
Penelope emerged from the car, her arrival met with a chorus of excited fans. Her dress, seemingly adorned with a thousand shimmering gems, flowed gracefully, catching the light and casting a dazzling display of colours. As she moved, her hair cascaded in wide, soft waves, a radiant shade of red that intensified in the setting sunlight. She then raised her hand in a wave, the sound of their cheers echoing in the air. A smile bloomed on her lips, freezing time momentarily, as she stood there, the most beautiful thing around them.
"She's gorgeous," Kate whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the overwhelming sight. Colin's agreement remained lodged in his throat, his voice unable to escape. He could only wait for her to draw nearer, regardless of how long it took.
Despite the sea of people, Penelope's gaze soon found Colin's, and suddenly, the world burst back to life in a vibrant array of colours. His lips couldn't help but curve into a smile as she returned the gesture. An odd fluttering sensation stirred in his heart, making it beat irregularly as she approached. It felt as if he were incredibly fortunate, lucky beyond measure, for her to have chosen to be close to him amidst the crowd.
As she got closer, he noticed her eyes were slightly watery, a familiar sight he had unfortunately grown accustomed to. However, the genuine happiness radiating from her eyes and her overall expression reassured him that her joy was genuine.
"Hi," he managed to say as she stood directly in front of him, his heart pounding strangely in his chest.
"Hi," she replied, her gaze briefly flickering across his face before settling on her feet. He noticed the faint redness in her eyes and a subtle tremor in her voice.
"You okay?" he whispered, leaning closer to her.
Her face contorted slightly as she continued to avoid his gaze. "I just... had a strange day before I arrived here," she admitted. He frowned in response to her answer, but then she looked up at him, letting out a small laugh before nodding towards the enthusiastic fans with her head. "They seem really excited, don't they?"
He glanced at the crowd briefly, a smile returning to his face as he recalled their screams upon her arrival. "That?" he asked with a chuckle. "I think that was all for you," he said, his voice filled with warmth before he turned his attention back to her.
Finding his conclusion absurd, she shook her head at him before diverting her attention to her shoes. She had actually searched through her wardrobe meticulously in pursuit of a suitable pair that would harmonise perfectly with her stunning dress. Thankfully, silver was a common color for party shoes, otherwise she would have had to buy new ones that very afternoon. Or worse, she would have been stuck wearing the despised brown dress. In hindsight, it was probably the right decision, as she still felt ridiculous in such a flashy outfit.
"You look really pretty today," he said.
Startled, Penelope looked up, believing she must have misheard Colin. But there he was, still gazing at her as if he truly meant it. And maybe it shouldn't have surprised her, considering he had publicly declared her beauty to the entire world, but he had never said it to her personally.
"Not that you don't always look pretty," he stammered, his brows furrowing, afraid of causing yet another fight. "You always do, Pen. I meant..."
"I know what you meant, Colin," she replied. "You look handsome too," she chuckled, noticing her friend's flustered state.
Because that's exactly what he was - a friend. She reminded herself of that fact before deciding to approach the rest of the group and move on.
Among them, she immediately spotted Kate, whose smile was as radiant as ever. The actress theatrically opened her mouth and gestured towards Penelope's outfit, exclaiming, "You look absolutely fantastic."
"You're one to talk," Penelope replied with a smile, scanning Kate's attire.
Kate cleverly smirked and suggested, "Why don't we take a picture together, then?" Taking Penelope by the hand, she led her towards the cameras. As the duo turned, Kate whispered, "One last adventure before everything changes."
Colin observed them from the sidelines, wondering when the two had grown so close. He felt a sense of joy seeing the typically reserved actresses so happy, but also a hidden tinge of melancholy.
It was an odd, inexplicable feeling of watching Penelope drift away right before his eyes.
mimi leonidasn0raxx
THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HER I CAN'T DO THIS
Dan lorasdaniella
leonidasn0raxx i TOLD y'all they were fine and it wasn't just the recorded interviews
lana•the sword and the heart today ! heartsofnoras
lorasdaniella leonidasn0raxx i don't want them to be fine I want them to stop being stupid
Jamila bl4ck_r0se
honestly i don't even go here but she's the most beautiful woman i have ever seen
lariiiii SnH era southnationsqueen
bl4ck_r0se how can anyone look at this woman and think she's anything short of beautiful i will never understand
ɪʀɪꜱ swor4onh3rt
if that picture of colin and P*nel0pe proved anything anthony is in love with kate too then
Dee warofthorns
swor4onh3rt LMAO
Harry c0wp3rlady
warofthorns swor4onh3rt why are these pictures the same i'm losing it
ɪʀɪꜱ swor4onh3rt
c0wp3rlady warofthorns 3 seconds before they went backstage to kill each other but sure they're all in love
Review: 'The Sword and the Heart: East Dynasty' - The Epic Adventure We've All Been Waiting For
Erica Combs Senior Contributor
I write about TV shows, movies, video games, entertainment & culture.
In a market saturated with historical romance novels, Charlotte zu Mecklenburg-Strelitz's "The Sword and the Heart" arrived in the UK, facing the challenge of standing out amongst the many similar titles. However, defying its time and even its market, Mecklenburg-Strelitz's trilogy, with its compelling characters and intricate plot, proved to be one of the best-selling books of the decade, earning a devoted following and captivating casual readers. Now, several decades later, this captivating story has returned to us in the form of a movie adaptation, helmed by the esteemed director Anthony Bridgerton.
The partnership between Charlotte and Bridgerton initially raised eyebrows, but now it has borne fruit, and what a glorious fruit it is. I often find adaptations disappointing, as they frequently change the original to the point of being unrecognisable, often distorting cherished storylines, characters, and most importantly, the core themes. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the movie gleefully avoided such pitfalls, allowing us to breathe a deep sigh of relief.
Much of the film's success can be attributed to Bridgerton's meticulous touch, evident in every well-managed, well-shot, and well-thought-out scene. Yet, it would be remiss of me not to mention the remarkable performances that made every second of this movie worth our while. The cast, a mix of newcomers and established actors, delivered authentic and deeply felt portrayals, breathing life into the cherished relationships. While I typically shy away from making predictions, this particular one feels straightforward: by the end of next year, it's likely that numerous individuals from this moment will achieve widespread and well-deserved recognition across the globe.
️Gabs ️ lladyora
I HATE ANTHONY BRIDGERTON LET THE WORLD KNOW I HATE HIS STUPID HAIR HIS STUPID FACE I HATE HIS LEFT TOE—
wes. kingofsnh
lladyora ? are you alright
️Gabs ️ lladyora
kingofsnh NO I'M NOT I JUST WATCHED THE MOVIE
wes. kingofsnh
lladyora was it that bad?
️Gabs ️ lladyora
kingofsnh NO IT WAS FANTASTIC THAT'S THE PROBLEM
billie noraswsift
WHEN I DIE I WANT CHARLOTTE TO LOWER ME INTO MY GRAVE SO SHE CAN LET ME DOWN ONE LAST TIME
mimi leonidasn0raxx
noraswsift DID YOU WATCH IT
billie noraswsift
leonidasn0raxx NORA AND LEONIDAS ARE MEANT TO BE CURSE ON THE HOUSES OF EVERYONE WHO EVER DISAGREED
mimi leonidasn0raxx
noraswsift I WAS WAITING FOR THEM TO KISS EVERY FIVE SECONDS EVEN THO I HAD ALREADY READ THE BOOKS
billie noraswsift
leonidasn0raxx THE STUPID BOOKS
Cinthy️ ️ Cy3452n
COLEEN WAS RIGHT MY SOUL DID LEAVE MY BODY
kay𓆰𓆪lora era loraskiss
Cy3452n I NEED TO LAY DOWN FOR AT LEAST 4 MONTHS
Cinthy️ ️ Cy3452n
loraskiss WHAT WAS THAT
Eve sWeet1X7
*snh spoilers*
kate is THE perfect marjorie
thomas is okay i mean i never liked dorieus that much
i don't understand how colin works so well as leonidas but HE DOES
cressida is… just there i guess
PENELOPE FEATHERINGTON
.༘ Fa loratheexplorer
okay i just got out of the theater and i got THOUGHTS
catherine cwbolton
loratheexplorer good for you cause my mind went blank as soon as leo and nora stared at each other before the arrows came flying
.༘ Fa loratheexplorer
cwbolton NO SERIOUSLY WHAT AS THAT
*ੈ‧𝚌𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎 ੈ‧ kingleonidass
guys.
i think nora became my favorite character.
literally how
𝒸𝒶𝓂𝒾 waiting for the sword and the heart arianasdorieus
kingleonidass NOT YOU TOO
Hilly hilllaryss
guys i need a moment to lie down
it's always rainy in delulutown loranator
hilllaryss and then what
Hilly hilllaryss
loranator and then we march with torches to charlotte's house
️Trish dorjorie4llifee
they promised us everything and still gave us more what do i do now
Maria Eduarda dudiiiiinha2004
dorjorie4llifee THE MOMENT MARJORIE AND DORIEUS WERE FIGHTING AND THE SONG WAS GOING CRAZY AND I WAS JUST YELLING KISS! KISS!
jess leolover2
dudiiiiinha2004 dorjorie4llifee me except i was doing that for leonidas and nora lmao
𓆩 𓆪 Octavia octaviabebe
Sword and Heart Spoilers
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who on earth thought cressida would be a good catherine
bella saw blackpink x2 bellatae
octaviabebe she was honestly distracting me the whole time ngl
𓆩 𓆪 Octavia octaviabebe
bellatae colin and cressida's chemistry made me cringe so hard
Samantha ﾟ｡ watched fourth wing 4x mermaaidsammy
Nora was the best character of that entire movie there's literally no competition
ASH dorieussw1fe
i have a confession to make
i ship leonidas and nora now
Fabricio snh_ing
dorieussw1fe SO IT WASN'T JUST ME
ASH dorieussw1fe
snh_ing NO LIKE WHAT IS THAT TENSION I NEVER NOTICED ON THE BOOKS?
Fabricio snh_ing
dorieussw1fe I DON'T KNOW I DIDN'T EITHER BUT HERE WE ARE
Ro watched the Sword and the Heart roroswift
Tell the lora shippers… they were right
Cinthy️ ️ Cy3452n
roroswift WELL WELL WELL WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE
Kithy is tired dorsetth0mas
thomas and kate have so much chemistry I AM LIVING
Joe Josephnavarro
dorsetth0mas i was hesitant bc they were kinda distant on the interviews
Kithy is tired dorsetth0mas
Josephnavarro idk i liked them but maybe it's cause kate is more quiet than thomas so they look more odd irl
⁀mell mamamarjorie
Came for marjorie and dorieus and ended up shipping leonidas and nora anthony bridgerton when i catch you
j. mandolord
mamamarjorie I haven't watched it yet… is it that bad?
⁀mell mamamarjorie
mandolord you have no idea
Regie nerdynswifty
okay so i read the books like… 5 years ago i think and i remember loving dorjorie but i didn't even notice leonidas and nora HOW
Milena mrsleonidassoares
nerdynswifty it's bc you didn't have colin and penelope looking like they wanna jump each other every 5 seconds back then
Regie nerdynswifty
mrsleonidassoares i seriously feel like i need to re-read the books?
Milena mrsleonidassoares
nerdynswifty no don't
𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔩𝔬𝔰 carlosbton
*SNHDE spoilers*
if i stop time just now i can pretend leonidas and nora ran away together after they met marjorie and everything is fine
lana•the sword and the heart spoilers ! heartsofnoras
redfeatherington this movie reopened such an old wound like WHY CHARLOTTE WHY
Ge geovanalady
I need someone to tell me what happens at the end of the book right now bc what do you mean leonidas and nora aren't endgame
.༘ Fa loratheexplorer
geovanalady LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
Hilly hilllaryss
geovanalady you must be new here
Ge geovanalady
hilllaryss I AM BUT WILL ANYONE JUST TELL ME
Hilly hilllaryss
geovanalady they don't even get together
Ge geovanalady
hilllaryss are you kidding me he just stays with catherine the whole time?
Hilly hilllaryss
geovanalady not exactly
Ge geovanalady
hilllaryss WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOT EXACTLY
Van• ılıılıılılılııılıılı. mus1c_l0rD
someone just told me leonidas and nora end the story going on separate ways and i'm about to commit murder
Amanda Mitchell sabsamanda
mus1c_l0rD why would you spoil me like that now i wanna kms
Van• ılıılıılılılııılıılı. mus1c_l0rD
sabsamanda because i refuse to suffer alone
Sally depressedhuffll3puff
mus1c_l0rD sabsamanda WHAT. what do you mean i thought they ended up together?
Van• ılıılıılılılııılıılı. mus1c_l0rD
sabsamanda depressedhuffll3puff nope they're / platonic friends
Sally depressedhuffll3puff
mus1c_l0rD sabsamanda WHAT WAS ALL THIS PROMO WITH THE TWO ACTORS THEN?1!?
Van• ılıılıılılılııılıılı. mus1c_l0rD
sabsamanda depressedhuffll3puff someone said it's all pr bc ppl didn't like catherine to begin with
Amanda Mitchell sabsamanda
mus1c_l0rD depressedhuffll3puff who even cares about catherine she's annoying
Van• ılıılıılılılııılıılı. mus1c_l0rD
sabsamanda depressedhuffll3puff lmao i know
Sally depressedhuffll3puff
mus1c_l0rD sabsamanda WHY ARE WRITERS SO STUPID I DON'T GET IT
Van• ılıılıılılılııılıılı. mus1c_l0rD
sabsamanda depressedhuffll3puff i heard someone say the actors are close friends irl
Sally depressedhuffll3puff
mus1c_l0rD sabsamanda leonidas and catherine?! they have zero chemistry
Van• ılıılıılılılııılıılı. mus1c_l0rD
sabsamanda depressedhuffll3puff no leonidas and nora
Sally depressedhuffll3puff
mus1c_l0rD sabsamanda Oh that makes more sense
Amanda Mitchell sabsamanda
mus1c_l0rD depressedhuffll3puff how didn't you two know they were trending for days last week he posted a video on ig defending her it was everywhere
Sally depressedhuffll3puff
mus1c_l0rD sabsamanda WAIT THAT WAS THEM?
Amanda Mitchell sabsamanda
mus1c_l0rD depressedhuffll3puff YES
Sally depressedhuffll3puff
mus1c_l0rD sabsamanda NO WAY
For a day that had started out confusing and nerve-wracking, Penelope ended up having a surprisingly enjoyable time.
She couldn't deny that Anthony and Agatha had done an exceptional job with the movie, and being a part of it made her heart swell with joy. No matter what the future held, Penelope would always cherish her involvement in that masterpiece.
With that in mind, she carefully ascended the stairs, holding her heels in one hand and the hem of her dress in the other, determined not to ruin it. As she reached her floor and happily made her way towards her flat, she couldn't help but feel a bit giddy, perhaps due to one too many glasses of champagne.
However, her excitement quickly faded when she saw someone standing right in front of her home.
"Eloise?"
The brunette girl, now a woman, leaned against Penelope's door, her hair slightly shorter than before, tied in a loose ponytail with a few strands falling over her face. With a thoughtful frown, she looked down at her military boots, their strong lines echoing the sharp cut of her charcoal culottes and grey chequered blazer—a style that only Eloise could effortlessly pull off. Penelope's presence made her raise her head, a moment of surprise widening her eyes before she composed herself with a calm expression.
"Hi," she greeted, waving her hand as if she hadn't accused Penelope of unimaginable things or disappeared from her life for five years, only to reappear on the most important night of Penelope's life and Eloise's own brothers.
With a churning stomach and blood boiling, Penelope ignored the greeting, her hands shaking as she frantically searched her purse for her keys.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, heading towards her door and assuming Eloise would move out of her way.
Fortunately, Penelope's former best friend graciously stepped aside to let the actress open her door. Eloise gazed at the side of her face and explained, "Um, I...I needed to come back to London for Daphne's wedding." Penelope was so furious that she hardly processed the news, which she had no knowledge of until that moment. "And I wanted to see you."
Penelope scoffed and forcefully swung her door open. She carelessly tossed her keys onto the kitchen counter and dropped her purse on the floor before turning to Eloise with her hands on her hips.
"Well, you've seen me. Now, have a nice life," she said.
Eloise then did something unprecedented—she flinched.
"Look, Pen, I'm sorry I know I overreacted—"
Penelope placed a hand over her forehead, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Well, your apologies must have got lost in the mail," the redhead said, dropping her arms to her sides as she stared at Eloise. "Because I haven't heard from you for five years. Five years," she repeated, her voice growing stronger as her anger intensified. "And right now I'm drunk, I'm exhausted. So forgive me if I'm going to take a page from your book and decide not to listen to you right now," she declared before closing the door.
Inhaling deeply, she stormed off to the shower, fuming over the Bridgertons' habit of hashing things out on her doorstep.
On the other side of the door, squeezed her eyes shut, a grimace twisting her features in displeasure. She knew it was a long shot. So, with a deep breath, she headed downstairs and hailed a cab, ready to tackle the other half of her problems.
As expected, entering Colin's building was about a thousand times more difficult than Penelope's, forcing Eloise to call him—a prospect she wasn't keen on following their last disastrous phone call.
"Even Penelope forgave me by now so if you have any complaints I don't wanna hear it," he greeted.
She closed her eyes and sighed. "That's not why I'm calling, idiot. I'm right outside," she said, standing in front of his building's entrance, looking up at the top floor as if Colin could see her, all while trying to ignore the judgmental doorman.
"Outside," he said, as if it were a foreign word. "Outside of where?"
Exasperated, Eloise huffed, her breath forming a fog in the frigid air. "What do you think?" she asked, her tone laced with irritation.
"I can't form an opinion because I haven't seen you in years," he said, his tone as offended as it had been the last time they spoke.
She mimicked shock, a hand flying to her chest, and breathed, "You've seen me," as if he stood before her.
"I mean, seen you in person, not just through a mobile screen," he retorted impatiently.
She looked up again; he hadn't come to the window to see if she was there, or so it seemed. That building of his was surprisingly tall. "Well, you're about to see me a lot because I need a place to crash."
"You've got to be kidding me," he replied, just as the entrance door to the building swung open.
Out stepped a slender, well-dressed man who seemed slightly anxious.
"Um... Miss Eloise?" the man hesitantly inquired
She furrowed her eyebrows at him, then glanced at her phone and back at the top of the building. If Colin had arranged for someone to kick her out onto the street, she would kill him.
"Yes?" she responded cautiously.
"Mr Bridgerton asked me to escort you inside," the man informed her. Her eyebrows furrowed even further.Mr Bridgerton?Colin definitely developed an inflated ego while she was away.
Reluctantly, she followed the peculiar and apprehensive man inside. They made their way towards the elevator, which Eloise knew from experience was always a dreadful ordeal. She detested silence, especially the awkward kind.
"So, you work for Colin," she stated, glancing at the elevator display indicating they were on the 3rd floor.
14 more floors to go, joy.
The man glanced at her from the corner of his eye, standing rigidly with his hands folded. "Yes," he replied. "I'm his assistant."
"Oh." Eloise feigned interest in the subject. "Of course, of course," she responded with a forced smile, before checking the elevator screen again. 5th floor. "And your name is?"
The man glanced at her once more, cleared his throat, and said, "John."
Eloise made an exaggerated face. "Great name," she remarked, cringing at her own awkwardness. The elevator seemed to be moving at a snail's pace. Wasn't this building supposed to be nice? She thought Colin was loaded.
The corner of John's lips twitched upwards in response to her absurdity, but the silence remained unbroken until the elevator reached the 17th floor, leaving Eloise unsure whether to feel relief or terror.
And because Colin was, in fact, loaded, Eloise realised as soon as she stepped out of the lift that his flat was the only one on the floor. It was a quick discovery, as when the doors opened, she was confronted with her brother standing by the door of his home, arms crossed, staring at her with all the annoyance and judgement in the world.
"This better be important," he declared, turning around and entering his flat.
Eloise huffed in indignation and followed her brother, paying no further attention to John, who tried to hide his amusement at the dynamics between the two siblings.
"I just need a place to stay, that's all," she stated.
Colin rummaged through his cabinets, his hair tousled, while Eloise observed him. She couldn't help but notice that he was also dressed in a suit, which was noticeably more expensive and lighter in color compared to his assistant's. The memory of Penelope's dazzling and costly gown briefly crossed her mind, making her silently realise that she had chosen an unfortunate evening to make her reappearance.
"Why are you even in London?" he asked, picking up a beer glass and placing it on the counter. Glancing at his tired assistant standing quietly by the door, he simply said, "Go home, John. We had a long day."
John looked hesitantly from one Bridgerton to the other, and after Colin's nod of confirmation, he went to rest, the weight of the day lifting from his shoulders.
"I'm here for Daphne's wedding, obviously," Eloise replied, as if it were perfectly clear, while Colin opened the refrigerator.
He closed the door with a soft click, poured a glass of beer until it overflowed slightly, leaned on the counter, and said, "Daphne's wedding is in six months, Eloise."
"So?" she replied, her voice a sharp, high-pitched tone that betrayed her defensiveness. "Six months is a really short time to plan a wedding. She needs all the help she can get."
Colin fixed her with a piercing gaze, one eyebrow arched skeptically, and he let out a slow, incredulous, "You?" To which Eloise nodded and he grabbed his beer, as he continued, "You, Eloise Bridgerton, are going to help our sister Daphne—who you described as superficially and insufferably perfectionist—with her wedding."
Eloise opened her mouth, closed it, raised both eyebrows, crossed her arms over her chest, and said, "... Yes."
Colin shook his head, chuckling, as he took another long sip of his beer. Eloise motioned towards his glass and asked, "Can I have some?"
He replied, "Absolutely not," while taking another sip.
Eloise threw her hands in the air, acting like the typical younger sibling that she was. "I've had a really hard day, you know. Do you have any idea how long it takes to travel from Berlin to here by train?Thirteen hours," she dramatically emphasised. Colin simply straightened his back, crossed his arms, and listened to her complaining. "And you know what the first thing I did when I got here was? I tried to talk to Pen. Wanna know how that went?" she asked rhetorically, pointing at herself. "She slammed the door in my face."
At that, Colin started laughing, placing a hand over his face and shaking his shoulders with laughter.
"THIS IS NOT FUNNY!" Eloise shrieked, yet all it did was fuel his amusement. At that point, he found it difficult to decide what was more entertaining—that he understood Eloise's frustration all too well, or that he had forgotten just how ridiculous Eloise's behaviour could be.
"I thought you knew how it was when Pen got really angry," Colin remarked, wiping his eyes and casually gesturing towards his sister.
He had never seen Penelope so furious until the day she declared their friendship over, but he assumed Eloise had witnessed that side of her more than he had. However, it seemed Eloise hadn't, because as soon as he mentioned it, she seemed to deflate a bit.
"No, I mean," Eloise began, her voice sounding dejected. "Honestly, Pen and I didn't fight that much."
Colin observed her sudden change in demeanour and responded, "Until you did."
Eloise pointed at him, as if silently agreeing.
Finishing his beer, Colin continued with what seemed like a casual question, "Why did you two even fight, by the way?"
He knew it had something to do with Penelope's decision to pursue acting, as that was the only information his friend had shared with him. However, it seemed unlikely that such a long friendship would end and cause Eloise to disappear for years over just that.
Eloise glanced at him, memories flooding back from that fateful day five years ago, remembering all the things she had said to Penelope. "It doesn't matter," she replied. "Not anymore, at least."
"Right," Colin replied, not convinced by her response. He placed his glass gently in the sink, stretched his arms over his head, and announced, "Well, I need some sleep. You can use my spare room and bathroom, but don't you dare wake me up," before heading to his own room.
Eloise nodded as she watched her brother retreat to his room, taking a deep breath once he closed the door. It seemed he wasn't quite ready for her to reveal the reason for her return, at least not yet.
"Okay, so how does it feel to play my brother when your own brother is telling you to play my brother?"
Colin shook his head, chuckling at Thomas' ridiculousness. He crossed his legs and pointed at the card in the actor's hands. "Is that really in there?" he asked.
Thomas furrowed his eyebrows dramatically, glancing at his card before looking back at Colin. "Yes. Not with that eloquence, of course."
Colin chuckled, crossing his arms as he pondered the answer. "It feels oddly natural," he replied, gazing slightly at the ceiling as if deep in thought. "I mean, it definitely feels better than being Anthony's brother."
"Good to know I'm superior to Anthony in every way," Thomas quipped, impressed by Colin's jab, while the other man simply smiled.
To Thomas' left, Kate glanced down at her own card to determine who she should direct her question to next. "Cressida," she said, and the blonde actress perked up, always eager to be in front of the cameras. "I heard the costume department had to create around three hundred white dresses for Catherine," Kate paused, realising she should be making an exaggerated face for this segment, but could only manage a raised eyebrow. "How difficult was it not to ruin all of them in the mud?"
What kind of question is that, she wondered, turning to Cressida with utmost seriousness.
"Not difficult at all," the blonde answered with a breezy smile. "You know how it is, us actresses must be prepared for anything," she replied with a light, polished tone that left Kate silently nodding in response.
Cressida then turned her attention to Colin, wearing a provocative smile on her lips. "Colin, this is actually your fourth role as a heartthrob. Do you feel that it's similar to your previous roles, or do you think this movie is different?" She gazed at him flirtatiously, attempting to make a playful joke as she winked at the camera, "Hopefully your scene partner helped."
Colin, on the other hand, made an effort to maintain a composed expression and answer. "I guess it's really different. It feels like Leonidas is more than just a pretty face, I hope," he said with a playful look at the camera. "The story talks so much about loyalty, duty, and finding strength you didn't know you had. I feel really honoured to be able to play him and bring his character to life, and of course, with all my wonderful scene partners by my side," he gestured politely to everyone around him, making sure it was clear he wasn't only referring to Cressida.
His colleagues smiled at him, and Colin glanced at his card before turning to his interviewee. "Pen," he said, catching her attention. "How many times a day..." he trailed off, and she nodded as if fully engaged. "Did you wish you could hit me on set?"
Her head snapped to him, staring at him with indignation at the question.
He held up his card, pointing at it and saying, "I swear, that's what it says."
She tilted her head slightly, considering it did indeed make sense considering their characters. So she just wrinkled her forehead in thought as Colin waited for her answer with an amused smile.
"I mean, zero because we get along so well," she honestly responded, gesturing between the two of them.
Colin raised an eyebrow before nodding. "It's true, we do," he declared before looking back at his card. Just when Penelope thought the topic was over, he continued, "And did you, or did you not, throw your yellow hat in my face the day we met?"
Penelope's jaw dropped in indignation, and Colin looked at her, trying not to burst into laughter. It wasn't until they had worked together on the movie that he realized how much fun it was to tease her, and sometimes he couldn't resist.
"That's not on there," she accused, pointing at his card.
A few laughs escaped his lips as he said, "I swear it is," gripping the card tightly in his lap.
The redhead narrowed her eyes at him. "Colin Bridgerton, don't you dare lie to me."
"I swear it is!" he repeated, his face turning red as he laughed even harder.
Fed up, Penelope scooted her seat closer to his, leaning in as she tried to grab the card from his hands, prompting more laughter from Colin. He extended his arm just out of her reach, ensuring that she couldn't catch a glimpse of his list of questions.
"Let me see, Colin," she exclaimed, making another futile attempt to retrieve the card from his hands. His arm was significantly longer than hers, much to her annoyance.
Ignoring his amusement, she shot him a glare and reiterated, "Let me see," before making another grab for the card.
"Pen, I should remind you that you publicly declared on live television that you never want to hit me," he pointed out.
"Colin," she retorted, still glaring at him, "This isn't live television," she clarified, making yet another attempt to snatch the card from his hand. He continued to laugh, skilfully transferring the card from one hand to the other, making it impossible for her to grab hold of it.
Jamila bl4ck_r0se
I know I asked this before but why is Pen the most adorable person to ever grace this earth?
nai saw the eras x5 swifitamondo
bl4ck_r0se okay colin bridgerton log out of your fake acc
it's always rainy in delulutown loranator
I swear every new interview they release it's a stab to the chest
｡ ﾟ ︎｡ ｡ ﾟ ﾟ｡ Dan leo_norax
loranator how come we are losing IN AND OFF SCREEN THIS ISN'T FAIR I WANNA SHAKE THEM
Mary maryannlynn
so what your saying is that these two aren't doing pr bc they're just naturally like this bc their characters don't even get together in the first place and they aren't together irl OR in the story
Olly bridgertonscol3
maryannlynn we don't even know what to tell you
Mary maryannlynn
bridgertonscol3 na bro i ain't watching the next movies i can't go through this pain
5 Changes the 'Sword and the Heart: East Dynasty' Movie Made to the Book
Attention, noble fans! After an extensive and somewhat tumultuous wait, the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the beloved book "Sword and the Heart: East Dynasty" has finally arrived. And while it received significant acclaim for its impressive fidelity to the original source, there were also a few noteworthy changes that caught our attention.
This article can only touch on a few of the many significant changes. And believe it or not, most turned out to be positive developments. However, below are the 5 most noteworthy changes.
Beware, minor spoilers ahead.
1. Timeline
It's an obvious point, but an important one nonetheless, given that the books cover several more decades than the film. The novel's deliberate pacing, perfect for a reader, would translate to tedious slowdowns in a movie trilogy, which instead prioritised fast-paced action over drawn-out scenes. Whether this fast pace will cause issues later remains to be seen.
2. Catherine's innocence
This might be a controversial one.
Opinions about Cressida Cowper's character are diverse across the internet, but it's clear that the films have adopted a more audacious interpretation of her role, whether intentionally or not. In the original source material, she is portrayed as an innocent and fragile maiden. However, the on-screen adaptation presents a character who is notably more cunning and sharp. Whether this is an intentional artistic choice or a hint at that plot twist is anybody's guess.
' role
Colin Bridgerton, playing opposite Cowper, is a perfect portrayal of Leonidas. However, a closer look at the added dialogue and cut scenes reveals Leonida's character became significantly more prominent from the start, unlike his book counterpart, whose spotlight came later in the narrative. The superiority of this choice for the narrative is already clear, as the forthcoming events seem to unfold in a more natural manner.
and Dorieus' relationship
Fans of the "Darjorie" ship rejoiced as the adaptation gave their favorite couple a much-needed storyline boost, enhancing their relationship with added scenes and depth.Charlotte zu Mecklenburg-Strelitz, author and now screenwriter, explained that she always felt their story needed more in the background after completing the trilogy, though the duo only officially reunite in the second book. Now in partnership with director Anthony Bridgerton, the duo was able to add small but important flashbacks into their story, the scenes adding both narrative clarity and showcasing Kate Sharma's and Thomas Dorset's palpable chemistry (I mean, who would want to wait over a year for that!)
Nora of it all
It is impossible not to comment on the most talked-about topic since the release of the movie:Penelope Featherington's exceptional portrayal of Nora Cloke. Previously an overlooked and somewhat bratty character, Nora came to life through the brilliant acting of Featherington and the sensible direction of Bridgerton. The result was a courageous, strong-willed, and sharp woman who quickly became a favorite among fans. Colin Bridgerton, we yield, no one will go to your Instagram account and yell at you.
6.(Bonus)
Personally, we would have been thrilled to include an unforeseen romantic subplot between Leonidas and Nora, a development many fans have passionately requested since the film's release (and possibly even earlier); however, that possibility remains a dream for the future.
Charlotte, the ball is on your court.
When Kate joked that everything would change, Penelope knew in the back of her mind that she was right. She just didn't realise she would be right so quickly.
It all began with numerous calls flooding her phone. Countless and countless phonecalls, ranging from crazy people who somehow got her number to business proposals. Ideally, she'd sort through her calls, prioritising the important ones, but at some point, she just wanted her phone to stop ringing.
Then came the day she decided to get a kebab.
It was a lazy day, and she wanted to try out a small restaurant downtown that everyone was raving about on Instagram. Like she had done countless times before that year, she left her flat without much thought. And up to the moment she ordered the kebab, the only unusual thing was the attendant's unsettlingly familiar gaze, as if he knew exactly who she was.
Then, a little girl with pigtails bounced up, her face beaming, and sweetly asked for a selfie, which warmed her heart. But then an old lady approached, her eyes twinkling, asking for a picture and autograph; it was sweet, but then a third woman joined, followed by a couple, then a teenage boy, until Penelope looked up and saw a line forming outside the restaurant.
Initially, the sight confused her. She briefly wondered if the restaurant was much more popular than she realised, given the long line just to order food. However, she overheard a guy calling his friend, excitedly sharing that he had seenPenelope Featheringtondowntown. The requests for pictures kept pouring in, and Penelope's hands started shaking.
Looking at the crowd, her first thought was how she would get home. Or when. By the time her order was ready, she couldn't even bring herself to eat it because people wouldn't stop asking for a moment with her.
"Um," she cleared her throat, "Guys, it was really great to see all of you," she said, slightly out of breath, as she scanned the room filled with people hanging on her every word. "But I really need to head home, so..."
Some in the crowd groaned sadly, and she really thought she could make her way out until another woman approached her for an autograph, followed by a middle-aged man asking for a selfie. And then the line continued despite her protests, and she realised that as much as she appreciated their enthusiasm, she was hungry and simply wanted to leave. But the door was blocked by a throng of people pushing their way inside; a wave of bodies pressing against her, and she realised she was trapped, her breath hitching in her throat as hyperventilation set in.
"Oi, everyone, give us some space!" an older woman suddenly appeared from behind the counter, alongside her husband, who Penelope assumed were the restaurant owners. With a bit of determination, she navigated her way through the crowd towards the exit. "We're closed!" the woman said, a bit exasperated. "Everyone out!"
The people groaned again, showing no signs of moving until she added, "Be off now or we'll have to ring the police."
Finally, it seemed that her message got through, and slowly, the restaurant began to empty. Feeling terrible for causing such a commotion in their establishment, Penelope also made her way towards the exit, gazing out at the crowded street through the glass doors and wondering if it would be easier to escape from there.
"Not you," the woman suddenly stopped her, closing the restaurant door and observing the people outside. "I wouldn't head out there just yet."
Penelope blinked, taken aback by the woman's warning. Her concerns extended beyond merely the state of her restaurant after all.
"Come," she said, giving Penelope's arm a light nudge as she led her to the back of the restaurant. "Best not to hang about by the door, innit?"
The actress nodded slowly, glancing over her shoulder at the streets again and noticing a few individuals with large cameras had joined the crowd, their flashes going off as they snapped pictures of her from afar. The whole situation was absurd; Penelope had never expected to be pursued by paparazzi. Ironically, what should have been a symbol of her success only made Penelope want to cry.
"That's actually our only exit," the owner informed her once they reached the kitchen. "Perhaps it would be best to hold off for a few minutes before you ring up for your car."
Her car. The words echoed in Penelope's mind as she surveyed the worn tiles, the greasy counter, and the two owners and their employees, all looking at her expectantly.
"I don't…" she trailed off, her throat tightening as she struggled to admit she didn't have a car. Not one that's privately owned, and certainly not one that came with a driver. Until that point, her only precaution had been opting for cabs over the tube, and that was about it.
Sure, the money from the movie was slowly finding its way into her bank account, but she was saving it. She didn't want to spend it on something as superfluous as acar.
But now, as she looked into their anxious eyes, she realised maybe it wasn't unnecessary after all. However, she was stuck where she was, and the realisation hit her that she had no idea how to escape.
Clearing her throat, she avoided their gaze and fought back tears. "Hang… hang on a second," she croaked, her voice raspy and nervous, before hurrying to the hallway that led to the restroom.
At that moment, only one solution occurred to her, and she hated it. Why, oh why, did her mind always return to him, especially in moments of despair? However, as she stared at the glass doors, watching more pictures being taken—pictures that probably made her look like a scared, trapped animal—she realised she had no choice.
With trembling hands, she reached into her pocket and dialled the number that had quickly become her number one speed dial after a year and a half.
"Pen?" he answered on the second ring.
"Um," she closed her eyes tightly. "Colin, are... are you busy at the moment?" Her voice sounded frail, and she hated it.
"No, not at all. What's wrong?" he asked, his voice instantly alarmed. She knew he would sense that something was terribly wrong right away.
"Can I ask you something?" she said, her voice small as she glanced at the people outside.
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before he responded, "Yeah, of course, anything," sounding a bit confused.
"What do you do when..." She grimaced, trying to find the right words for her doubt, "...you're surrounded by too many fans and you don't know how to get away?"
There was another pause, and Penelope despised the fact that she could tell it differed from the previous one. It was just silence, but somehow, even Colin's silences spoke to her at times.
"It depends on the situation," he said. "Pen, where are you?"
She closed her eyes tightly, knowing all along that he would figure out what was happening, but still dreading the outcome.
"I'm at that new kebab place I wanted to try and—" He let out a sharp breath on the other end of the line as she continued, "one thing led to another and I can't leave because there are too many people outside."
In a voice strained with false calm, he instructed, "Have your assistant order a cab, and use the back exit. It's less than ideal, but—"
"Colin, I've told you before, I don't have an assistant," she said, a bit exasperated. "And there isn't a back exit."
His breathing became heavy and his tone started to rise, "How can there be no back exit—"
"It's a tiny little restaurant!" she exclaimed, raising her shoulders as if he could see her in that argument.
"Pen, how come you haven't got an assistant yet?" He asked the follow-up question, and Penelope felt an urge to hit him if she were there in person. Maybe he was right, and she had lied in that interview months ago.
"Because," she took a deep breath. "I didn't have the money and I don't think it's necessary, and honestly, I don't see why it's even relevant now that I'm stuck here without an assistant or a way out!" Her voice rose, her heart pounding against her chest in frustration and fear.
"Alright," he said, his tone calmer and more determined. "I'll ask John to arrange for my driver to pick you up," he spoke slowly and evenly, and somehow that offered her a bit of comfort all on its own. "I can't go there in person or I'll only make things a thousand times worse. And, I don't have bodyguards because I'm notthatwell off," he explained. "But I'll ask John to go instead. Clearing the crowd isn't his job, so I'll ask him to do it as a personal favour. However, I have a feeling he's up to the task if it's for you," he added with a hint of exasperation, as if he were looking at John while speaking.
"Okay," she breathed, the tension slowly ebbing away as Colin's solution settled the fear and adrenaline coursing through her.
"I honestly don't know why I'm here. I'm perfectly fine," Penelope complained, glancing at the elevator display showing they were on the 15th floor.
"I'm sorry, Miss Penelope, but Colin insisted," John apologised, though his expression didn't convince her much.
"And you really didn't have to do that," she pointed at his left eye, which had a red rim that they both knew would turn purple later.
"It was just an accident," he dismissed, as the elevator dinged, signalling their arrival.
As the doors opened, Colin was waiting for them outside his apartment, his face filled with relief upon seeing Penelope, but furrowing with concern when he noticed John.
"What happened?" he asked, pointing towards John's injured eye.
John shook his head, indicating that it was nothing, while Penelope explained, "He got elbowed in the eye when someone was trying to grab me."
"What?!" Colin's voice boomed so loudly that they were certain everyone on the first floor could hear him. He quickly rushed back into the apartment, and they followed suit, with Penelope closing the door behind them before John could.
The actor had already opened the freezer as he continued speaking, "What do you mean someone grabbed you?" There was pure rage on his face as he closed the door and approached John with a gel ice pack in hand.
"It's not as bad as it sounds," she reassured, aware that Colin was assuming the worst. "We were trying to reach the car and someone just grabbed my arm and—"
"Not as bad as it sounds?" Colin interrupted, raising an eyebrow as he placed the ice pack on John's eye. "Hold still," he instructed his assistant, who calmly nodded and followed his command.
"It's just that it caused a bit of a mess and John tried to help, but someone accidentally elbowed him in the eye," she pointed to John, who nodded in confirmation.
Colin looked at them both as if they were crazy, then he placed a hand on his face, looked down, and muttered to himself, "Maybe I do need a bodyguard."
Penelope sighed in frustration. "It wasn't that bad," she repeated. "It's just that there were too many people, so it was hard to walk towards the car."
"John, are you really alright?" Colin raised his head to gaze at his assistant, and as he nodded, Colin continued, "Take the day off, and maybe even tomorrow. Or perhaps the entire week."
"No, there's no need," John replied, lowering the ice pack to reveal his eye. "I'm perfectly fine. It was just an accident."
Colin sighed, "At least take today off then," he suggested, knowing how much of a workaholic his assistant was.
"Alright," John agreed.
Colin then turned to Penelope, observing her from a distance as if assessing her well-being. "Let me see that arm," he declared, approaching her as if he were a doctor rather than an actor who actually despised medical shows.
His absurdity caused her to chuckle, despite the overwhelming day she had. "Colin, I'm fine," she replied, showing her arms to emphasise her point. "Physically, at least," she added.
His blue eyes slowly scanned her face, absorbing every word she had spoken and taking in the events of the day. His closeness and undivided attention made her heart skip a beat, as it always did. After a moment, he placed his hands on his hips and prepared to speak, but before he could utter a word, the door to his flat swung open abruptly.
"Someone tell me why the prices in this city are just so ridic—"
Eloise, arms laden with paper bags, paused mid-sentence as she entered. Her gaze shifted from John, who held an ice pack to his eye, to Penelope, who stood casually in Colin's kitchen.
Penelope's eyes went wide in disbelief, as though she'd spotted a ghost not once, but twice in the same season. Eloise's presence should not have been shocking, as Penelope had discovered her return to England when she found her former friend on her doorstep. What was confusing, however, was her presence in Colin's flat. It wasn't as if she just waltzed casually into Colin's house at will back when he first started living alone. But, they were siblings after all. It was odd; she hadn't realised how much she'd mentally separated Colin's image from Eloise's until that moment, when the sight of Eloise in his home jolted her.
Meanwhile, Colin froze, realising what a mess he had made: not only should he have considered that Eloise and Penelope might cross paths at his flat, but he had not even told Penelope that Eloise was staying there.
"Right," Penelope said, finally tearing her gaze away from Eloise. "I should head out now," she declared, unwilling to remain in Eloise's presence after such a stressful day.
Eloise opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say.
"Wait," Colin said, his voice low and steady, placing a hand on Penelope's arm. "We need to talk first," he stated, his serious intent evident in his eyes. He gently took Penelope's hand and guided her out to the hallway, leaving a bewildered Eloise as he shut his apartment door.
Eloise stood dumbfounded, staring at the closed door, astonished by the peculiar scene. Then, pointing a finger at the entrance, as if indicating the duo, she turned to John and asked, "Are they always like that?"
John lowered his ice pack and furrowed his brow in thought. "I'm not sure," he replied.
Then it was John's turn to face Eloise's bewilderment; her voice, sharp with confusion, cut through the air, "Aren't you with Colin constantly? How can you not be sure?"
He tilted his head, contemplating how much things had changed over the past year and a half, how unpredictable they still were.
"It varies," he responded, as if Colin and Penelope's relationship were a scientific theorem rather than a simple friendship.
Eloise narrowed her eyes at him and retorted, "You're quite odd. Did you know that?"
"I'm sorry, Pen, I forgot to mention that she was staying with me," he said as soon as he closed the door.
Penelope raised an eyebrow at the information, initially assuming Eloise was just visiting, not actually living in his flat. She blinked, as if trying to collect herself, before saying, "It's alright, Colin, she's your sister, it's really not my place to say anything."
He regarded her as if she were being ridiculous. "I really should have mentioned it, but I genuinely forgot. There's just so much going on, it slipped my mind," he explained, leaning against the wall by the window, with sunlight streaming in between them. "I had no idea she was returning to London; she just turned up here on the night of the premiere." He then recalled something Eloise had mentioned that day, and a rather cheeky smile crept onto his lips. "But I think you already knew about that."
One glance at his amused face, and she understood his meaning. With a huff of exasperation, she leaned against the wall by the window, arms crossed, and declared, "She told you."
He playfully narrowed his eyes and leaned in slightly. "Who knew getting a door slammed in their face by Penelope Featherington would become a shared Bridgerton experience? But if I may suggest the next victim, it should be Anthony."
A laugh escaped her unexpectedly, and she stared at him in disbelief that he could joke about such a sensitive topic. That day was something they typically avoided discussing, having barely survived the awkwardness it created. Yet here was Colin, joking about it with an endearing look that made her breath catch.
"Please," she said, slightly out of breath. "Anthony would never climb six flights of stairs for anyone."
It was Colin's turn to let out a surprised laugh, his eyes crinkling with joy, and he stared at her in surprise as she smiled back at him, the warmth of their connection filling the room. Both of them just spent a moment like that, staring at each other smile as the sunlight filtered through the scene, making their hair, their skin, their eyes, glow.
Penelope then cleared her throat, feeling a slight flutter in her chest, and looked away, reminding herself to stay grounded.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, staring down at her feet.
He subtly raised an eyebrow, seemingly remembering why they were there, then readjusted himself against the wall, clearing his throat.
"Right," he said, "Pen, we need to discuss how you're handling all of this."
"All of this?" she asked, giving him a puzzled look.
He shifted his crossed arms and clarified, "Your fame."
"My... fame?" She repeated, her eyebrows shooting up as if he'd just proposed a debate on the existence of mythical creatures.
"Yes," he responded, his tone implying that it was obvious. "What happened today… it could very well happen again, and most likely will if you don't make a few adjustments."
She furrowed her brows, glancing down at her feet once more as she reluctantly acknowledged that he was right. Deep down, she knew it made sense, but it still felt surreal and absurd. She couldn't help but wonder how long this would last—perhaps just for the trilogy or maybe only during the hype of the recently premiered first movie.
"For starters, you should hire an assistant," Colin interrupted her train of thought.
At that, she shot her head up, giving Colin a look that could quite easily tell him where to shove that assistant idea.
He raised his hands as if instantly understanding her expression, but didn't seem remorseful at all.
"Look, that's not up for negotiation," he insisted. "Pen, how are you managing your schedule, sifting through job offers, or even answering all your calls?"
Penelope winced. The truth was... she wasn't. Her failsafe method so far had been to ignore her phone when she felt overwhelmed and claim that she needed to consult with her manager before making any decisions.
"I'm... managing," she lied, but Colin looked at her skeptically.
"Pen, you're going to need help, just like the rest of us," he explained. "Didn't you receive some payment from the movie already?"
She glared at him, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Yes, but I just..."
"Then I swear to you, hiring an assistant is not a frivolous use of your money," he said with genuine concern, causing her anger to dissipate.
"Fine," she reluctantly agreed. And before Colin could speak again, she preemptively pointed at him, knowing exactly what he was about to suggest. "I'm not dismissing Mrs Varley and hiring another manager," she asserted.
A sigh escaped his lips; defeat settled on his shoulders as he acknowledged some battles were unwinnable.
"Fine," he conceded. "But as time goes on, you should consider getting a publicist," he began, counting on his fingers, "maybe even an agent, a social media manager could help, although you're not as bad as me on social media, and a–"
"Okay, stop," she interrupted, waving her hands in front of him and taking a deep breath. "I'll hire more people when the time comes, but for now, can we please take it slow?" she requested, and he looked at her overwhelmed expression before nodding. Then she stared at him for a moment before asking, "Do you really have that many people working for you?"
She knew that many celebrities had a team of people to manage their fame, but it was strange to consider Colin as one of those people. Especially since she had only ever seen him around John and Will. It was even stranger to think that she might need a team like that herself soon, considering she could barely afford her rent a few months ago.
"Yeah, some," he nodded. "Honestly, I mostly let Will handle it. I told him from the beginning that I'm too disorganised for this," he replied, and Penelope chuckled.
They stood in silence for a moment until he straightened his back and looked at her again, as if reassessing her situation. "There's one more thing you need right now, though." She looked at him, and he raised his eyebrows as he said, "A car."
"No," Penelope huffed, stamping her foot in frustration, "Colin, I don't even know how to drive! There's a reason why I always quotedCluelessto Eloise. I'm truly a virgin who can't—" She paused, noticing Colin's entertained expression. Aware of what she was saying and to whom, she amended, "I can't drive."
"I'll teach you," he said, a mix of exasperation and amusement in his voice.
"Are you crazy?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Because that would definitely make the news."
"Well, I'm not going to teach you in the middle of London," he replied, as if she was the one suggesting something crazy.
Penelope covered her face with her hands, trying to regain her composure. "I've already had lessons, and I'm terrible at driving. I hate it—"
"Okay," Colin said softly, taking Penelope's hands from her face. "Then get a car and hire a driver when you need one," he explained, recalling what he had done earlier that day when she was in distress.
"But it's expensive," she whined. "And I don't even have a parking spot in my building."
"Good thing you mentioned that," he said, a fond smile softening his face as he gently squeezed her hands, still holding them. "Because the next thing I was going to mention is that you need to find a nicer flat."
Penelope gasped, quickly pulling her hands away from his.
"I'm sorry, Pen, but you need to," he raised his hands in surrender. "Your neighborhood is overcrowded, and anyone can easily enter your building. Believe me, they will."
She stared at him, her hand on her chest, torn between offense and realising he had a valid point.
"So, when you do find a better flat, make sure it has a parking spot," he replied, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
Penelope could only blink, her hands falling to her sides as she tried to take in everything Colin had just said. "Anything else?" she asked, annoyance creeping into her voice.
Colin furrowed his eyebrows slightly, his eyes quickly scanning her from head to toe, before he spoke, "And you really need to be mindful of your appearance when you go out," he pointed towards her.
Her appearance? Now he had an opinion about her appearance too?
But instead of smacking him, even though he was giving her plenty of reasons to do so, she took a deep breath and calmly asked, "What do you mean?"
"You're easily recognisable, Pen," he said. "Anyone who sees a short redhead with a cute outfit on the street will know it's you."
She blinked, convinced she was hallucinating at that point. "A cute outfit?" she blurted out in shock. She didn't even know the word cute was in Colin's vocabulary.
Colin raised an eyebrow and assessed her appearance again. "Yes."
The actress looked down at her outfit as if trying to remember it correctly. It was just an old, yellow turtleneck knit dress with a matching belt, the faded yellow a muted contrast to the soft, beige fuzziness of the sweater draped over it. "This dress is ancient," she said, looking at him as if it excused everything.
"So?" he said, as if she was not making any sense. "It's cute."
For a moment, Penelope could only stare at him, questioning her sanity, or perhaps his. But Colin seemed so nonchalant about it that maybe she was overreacting, so it was best to just move on.
"Did you just call me short?" she accused, pointing at him.
He simply looked at her as if she was insane for questioning the obvious.
With a frustrated huff, she flung her hands up in the air and exclaimed, "So what do you suggest, then? Should I wear platform shoes everywhere? Maybe a burlap sack as a dress, topped off with platforms?"
Colin bit his lip, desperately trying to hold back his laughter. He closed his eyes for a moment, then finally spoke up, "No, I mean you could wear shades, a hat, and a coat," he glanced at her hair, then continued, "Perhaps even a wig."
"A wig," she said, the single word inexplicably sapping her of all strength to cope with the day. "Alright, I'm going home," she declared, swiftly turning around to the sound of Colin's chuckles.
"Pen, I know I'm laughing, but I'm being serious," he insisted.
"I know!" she exclaimed, walking towards the lift and pressing the call button. "Which is why I'm leaving."
The lift doors opened just as he reached her. She was about to triumphantly wave him goodbye, but he quickly placed one arm on the door to prevent it from closing and rested the other on his hip, smirking at her.
"How are you planning to leave if you don't know how to drive?" He asked.
She stared at him, but before she could utter a stream of expletives, he merely shook his head and said, "Let me take you home," before stepping into the elevator with her.
"Hello, I'm Thomas Dorset and I play Dorieus."
"Hi, I'm Kathani Sharma and I play Marjorie."
"Hey, I'm Penelope Featherington and I play Nora."
"Colin Bridgerton and I play Leonidas."
"And I'm Cressida Cowper and I play Catherine."
"We, the cast of The Sword and The Heart: East Dynasty, are here on Buzzfeed to play with puppies."
"That was quite a mouthful," he remarked, glancing at their fellow castmates as they settled on the floor.
"I feel like they should just invent an official abbreviation already so we don't have to keep repeating ourselves," Colin replied, leaning back and carefully avoiding contact with the vibrant pink wall behind him.
"With all these puppies heading our way," Kate said, pointing off-camera, "are you really discussing title abbreviations?"
"My technique," Thomas said seriously, looking at Kate, "is to pretend I don't care about them, so they come closer to me faster."
Kate shook her head, finding his antics amusing, while Penelope couldn't contain her excitement as the puppies approached. Three energetic fur balls leaped into her lap, showering her with excited barks and jumps. She pouted, tears welling up at their irresistible charm. Kate playfully grabbed a black and white border collie that was chewing on her shoe, tickling its belly as it barked and tried to play with her fingers. Meanwhile, Thomas leaned forward to pet two labradors playfully fighting in front of him. Cressida had a fluffy white samoyed that was jumping on her arms.
"What was your favorite scene to shoot on set?"
"Um, my favourite scene?" Thomas asked, scrunching up his face in thought as he tried to separate the fighting puppies. "I think it was the one where I had to take off my shirt."
Kate chuckled, making a sign of "no" to the dog in her hands as it tried to bite her finger again. "Why did I know you were going to say that?"
"What?" Thomas asked, finally snatching one of the puppies and putting it on his lap, "I had to work out for months just for that scene, not to mention, it was hot that day so when I finally took it off," he pointed towards his own chest with his free hand, "it was breezy and cool, it was perfect."
"Well, my favourite scene was the sword fight," Kate said with a satisfied smile as she looked at the camera.
"Oh, you looked badass," Penelope remarked, now juggling a fourth cream-colored puppy that was scrambling up her leg.
"I hope so," Kate replied, gently placing the border collie back on the ground and scratching behind its ears, "We look ridiculous if we don't get those fight scenes right."
"No, you looked great," Cressida commented, her words causing the other three to glance at her, suppressing their shock at her unexpected compliment to Kate. She rocked the puppy in her arms as if it were a baby, which looked slightly hilarious as she continued, "You're definitely more talented at looking violent than me. My most exciting scene was when Catherine fell two steps and Leonidas caught her."
Kate furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding if that was a backhanded compliment, or if she was truly just being conversational. She then turned to Penelope since deviating the subject seemed like the better idea. "How about you, Pen?" she asked.
"Um," Penelope furrowed her brow, struggling to balance two puppies in each arm - two Pomeranians and two Aussiepoms. She chuckled, trying to think of an answer. "It's honestly so hard to concentrate right now," she said, the puppy in front of Thomas suddenly running towards her.
Kate and Thomas laughed, observing Penelope being showered with affection by a crowd of dogs. "They really love you," Kate commented.
"I never thought I'd say this," Penelope said, as the fifth dog tried to crawl on her stomach, "but I wish they loved me a bit less. I think it's better if we go to Colin now for the answer," she said, glancing at him.
Then, she noticed an odd, puppy-like sadness in Colin's eyes as he wistfully scanned the room.
"Wait, where's your puppy?" she inquired, noticing he was empty-handed.
"Nowhere, they hate me," Colin, a thirty-four-year-old man, almost whined, reaching out for the dog in front of him, who quickly darted away.
Penelope couldn't quite pinpoint what it was about that scene, or if being surrounded by so many adorable animals had triggered something in her, but she found him both ridiculously cute and terribly sad at the same time. It made her tear up just as much as when the cute puppies ran towards her.
"Aw, nooo," she said, pouting, her bottom lip quivering. She extended her left arm, along with the puppies nestled in it, towards him. "Take one," she offered, but as her arm drew closer to him, the two dogs broke free from her grasp and headed towards her right side.
"See?" Colin said, and Penelope could have sworn she saw him pout too, causing her heart to tighten.
"This is absurd," she declared, taking one of the puppies that was on her right arm between her hands - a small, fluffy, black aussiepom.
"Listen here," she said in a tiny voice, pointing her index finger at it as if human and dog language were interchangeable. "Uncle Colin is really nice, you'll be lucky to be held by him. Don't run away," she commanded, then turned to Colin, handing the dog to him.
Colin grabbed it hesitantly, as if the aussiepom was about to bite him at any minute. But when he placed it back on the ground, it came running back to him, jumping excitedly on his lap.
While Kate and Penelope were awing and Cressida simply eyed the scene from afar, Thomas asked, "What is this? Is she the dog whisperer?"
As Colin and the black puppy played, a chaotic flurry of excited barks erupted and Penelope's dogs joined the fun, a writhing mass of fur and playful nips surrounding Colin's legs, causing him to stumble back in surprise.
"Okay, what do I do now?" he asked while Penelope chuckled by his side.
Just as Kate was about to speak, the two dogs in front of her and Thomas bolted toward Colin, who stared in surprise as the canine parade scrambled up his legs and body.
The two leads stared, mouths agape, then shared a look, and finally erupted in laughter at Colin.
"You might actually have superpowers," Kate teased Penelope.
"Oh no," Colin said, as the final dog in Penelope's care charged him, forcing the man to surrender and lie down as the puppies began climbing all over him. "I got what I wanted but at what cost?!" he yelled dramatically while petting one dog in each hand.
The room filled with laughter, but Penelope's radiant smile outshone them all; her heart overflowing as she watched Colin, surrounded by a flurry of warm, fuzzy puppies.
｡ ﾟ ︎｡ ｡ ﾟ ﾟ｡ Dan leo_norax
ME TOO PENELOPE ME TOO
Selena. selfabbri
leo_norax i'm confused as to who got pregnant me or penelope
｡ ﾟ ︎｡ ｡ ﾟ ﾟ｡ Dan leo_norax
selfabbri AHAHAAHAHAHAHA SHUT UP
𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔩𝔬𝔰 carlosbton
i just don't see why those two can't work things out!
Nanda nandaxinha
Penelope looking at him as if he's picturing him holding all of their future children
Cinthy️ ️ Cy3452n
nandaxinha SHUT UP I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE
Z. ZX867
i'm so confused last week someone explained this whole story to me but they said that the girl was the one who turned him down
𝒥𝑒𝓃 thronessatwar
ZX867 yeah that's what he said
Z. ZX867
thronessatwar then why was she looking at him like that?
ℝ𝕒𝕗𝕚 Cressidasswiftie
it's so obviously pr it hurts my eyes truly
Marie Ann Cowperbaby
Cressidasswiftie their acting is not really that good
ℝ𝕒𝕗𝕚 Cressidasswiftie
Cowperbaby in the movie or real life
Marie Ann Cowperbaby
Cressidasswiftie both lol
Katherine K1ttys_Kat
i swore to myself i wasn't watching these movies bc their characters don't end up together but
billie noraswsift
K1ttys_Kat girl don't
Katherine K1ttys_Kat
noraswsift BUT THEY ARE SO CUTE
billie noraswsift
K1ttys_Kat don't it's for your own good
Nanda nandaxinha
day 15 since i made the terrible mistake of watching this cursed movie and even an worse one of researching abt the cast
Jade englishmansbiceps
I wish people would stop making everything about shipping? I mean charlotte made such a beautiful story that has nothing to do with ships not everything in life is about romance
Felicity J. J0hnsonFel
honestly tired of people acting as if romance isn't important. Like, i get it, there are SO MANY things i love abt the story and dorjorie slaps but if you have two characters that are perfect for each other AND two actors that have out of this world chemistry why would you waste just bc "not everything is romance" i don't get it do you hate good stories? do you hate fun? do you hate money? it's just stupid at this point
As Anthony entered the conference room, he was greeted by the invigorating aroma of freshly brewed coffee, mingling with the clean, slightly metallic scent of the air. He breathed out slowly, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Finally, he was back to doing what truly mattered.
The large, empty room was silent except for the tick of a clock; as expected, no one had arrived, and he calmly headed towards his chair at the head of the table, hanging his worn leather shoulder bag on the back of it. Punctuality was important to him, and he particularly enjoyed being the first to arrive. Given the judgment he faced for entering the business through his father's name, he didn't want to give anyone additional reason to doubt his dedication.
However, just as he was about to take a seat, the door swung open once again.
"I don't think you're being stupid, bon, just impractical," Kate argued into her phone, halting when she saw Anthony.
A moment of wide-eyed staring passed between them before Anthony pursed his lips and she awkwardly waved hello. Then, she exhaled annoyedly, probably at something that was said on the other end of the line.
"And you know how it was for me. I had to work twelve-hour shifts while paying for my acting classes. Even after I began auditioning, I stayed in that job for almost a year," she insisted, returning to the chair she'd occupied two years earlier for their first table read. She pulled her chair and suddenly paused, leaning with both hands on its rest as she exhaled loudly, "No, you can do what you want, but it doesn't mean it will get you anywhere."
Anthony observed her raised eyebrow and tensed jaw, knowing all too well the consequences of being on the receiving end of her stern expression. For once, he was extremely glad it wasn't his case this time.
"Edwina, I'm not saying you're not talented, you're extremely talented," she said, her voice raising. "What I'm saying is life is hard, that is all. It might take a while for people to recognise that talent; you need to focus on your well-being and financial security in the meantime."
Anthony bit his bottom lip and looked down at his feet. He couldn't help but automatically think he agreed 100% with Kate, even if it wasn't his business at all. For starters, he shouldn't even be listening to the conversation, but it wasn't his fault that Kate was nearly yelling in the room. He then looked at the door, wondering if he should excuse himself and give her five minutes instead of listening to her arguing with her sister.
"Fine," Kate exhaled again, then glancing at Anthony, she said, "Look, I need to get to work. We will talk about this later," she declared before exchanging her goodbyes and placing her phone on the table. "I'm sorry about that," she told Anthony, who she realized looked slightly sheepish. That was an expression she wasn't even sure he was capable of showing.
Anthony then waved at her dismissively, as if not to worry, which was even more uncharacteristic. "It's alright," he said, before taking a deep breath. "I actually do know how it is."
And there was something in his tone that told her he truly meant that. That was why she found herself venting her pent-up frustration by saying, "Younger siblings," gesturing with annoyance as if those two words held all the answers.
And to the oldest Bridgerton brother, they did. He responded with a smile, a peculiar feeling fluttering in his heart, as if he had been understood without uttering a word.
"It's as if they believe the world will hand them everything on a silver platter," he replied.
Kate raised her eyebrows and nodded, as if that summed it up perfectly. "Perhaps because we were the ones who spoiled them first," she retorted.
Anthony paused, thinking that was an apt description, and his smile broadened. He then reached into his shoulder bag and began retrieving sheets of paper, keeping himself occupied so as not to appear overly focused on their conversation. Though, truth be told, he was.
"My favourite part is when one of my sisters, or even one of my brothers, would come to me and say, 'I never asked you to do these things for me'—"
"Oh, absolutely, because we'd just shove our little sibling to the side and carry on living our best lives while our parents poured all their time and energy into work and sorrow," Kate finished his sentence before he could.
Anthony paused in his ministrations and looked at her, taking in her sparkling eyes and slightly tousled hair—there was a period a few months ago when her hairstyle from the movie premiere became a viral trend, and everyone was trying to replicate her long, wavy locks, which Anthony thought was quite deserving—and the most peculiar three words sprang unbidden into his mind and heart.I like her.
Which was utterly bizarre, considering how much he had despised her for so long.
"Um," he cleared his throat, pressing his lips together in an attempt to conceal his smile, "Exactly."
"I mean, I didn't have the same upbringing as you," she amended, blinking rapidly as if reminding herself. "But one can make assumptions."
"You assumed correctly," he replied, finding her blubbering adorable, which was bizarre twofold. "Honestly, I shouldn't complain. Sometimes I'm even ashamed to do so," he furrowed his eyebrows, about to confess something he almost never did out loud. But for some reason, he felt comfortable doing it with Kate. "I know I grew up with way more wealth than most. It helped a lot, I cannot deny that."
"But still," Kate interrupted. "I suppose that also came with more responsibilities."
The Bridgertons were a prominent family, renowned not only for their social standing but also for their significant entertainment business; Edmund's untimely death left Anthony and his mother, both ill-equipped, to grapple with the immense responsibility of managing everything.
Anthony looked at her, feeling as though he must have misheard her somehow. Because Kate Sharma could not possibly be defending him against himself. Nevertheless, he found himself nodding. Although the option of employing nannies to assist with childcare, even intermittently, was available—a solution Anthony vehemently opposed, fearing his siblings would grow up as strangers to him—ultimately, only he and Violet could manage his father's business. And if there was one thing both refused to allow, it was the destruction of Edmund's life's work by their incompetence.
"Having an eighteen-year-old run a company is a disaster. I'll say that," Anthony replied.
"Were you?" Kate asked, her brow furrowing in disbelief.
Kate watched Anthony shake his head with a chuckle, struck by how attractive he looked laughing.
"No, my mother actually took care of everything while I was learning," he explained, tilting his head slightly as he continued. "She didn't really know what to do either, but…" He cleared his throat. "Agatha helped… which is why…" He trailed off, recalling an argument they had what felt like a lifetime ago, in that same room. "Everyone in the business and beyond is aware of our connection with her."
"Oh," Kate replied, the memory of her sharp words returning with a sting of regret, making her feel ashamed.
Anthony, realising he'd embarrassed her, steered the conversation in a different direction, as that hadn't been his intention.
"Actually, she still runs our company," he clarified. "My mother, that is. I just lend her a hand."
Kate furrowed her brow, feeling completely confused by this new information. "Really?" she asked, surprised. Anthony's accomplishments were always heavily emphasised, and she had assumed she played that role in the company.
"Yes," he replied with a chuckle. It wasn't exactly a secret among their circle. "You knew about Agatha, but not this?"
"Honestly, I do my utmost to avoid Googling you," she admitted, raising her hand to emphasise her point. "The less I know about you, the less intimidating you seem when I yell at you."
Then, in a surprising twist, Anthony laughed. A hearty laugh escaped him, his hand shielding his eyes, face screwed up in mirth, the pure joy of it making Kate's lips stretch into a huge grin.
He looked at her, a twinkle in his eyes, shaking his head with a look of pure, unadulterated amusement. And it made her heart skip a beat.
What's going on?She resisted the urge to place a hand over her rapidly beating chest. That day had been incredibly strange.
"Afternoon!"
In sync, Kate and Anthony turned towards the sound, seeing Agatha standing at the door with a raised eyebrow and an odd expression on her face.
Kate blinked, quickly sitting down, while Anthony seemed to refocus on his work.
"Good afternoon, Agatha," Kate greeted her with all the neutrality she could muster.
Agatha glanced at her from the corner of her eye as she made her way to her seat beside Anthony.
"Got here early, you two," she casually commented, glancing between them.
"I really hate being late," Kate said simultaneously with Anthony, causing them both to stare at each other in surprise.
Agatha raised an eyebrow at them. "Right," she replied before placing a tall stack of papers in front of Anthony. "Since you didn't want my assistant to see these, help me distribute them, won't you?" she asked, giving him a judgmental look that made him slightly uncomfortable.
Nonetheless, he decided it was best to do as she asked to keep himself occupied. So slowly, both he and Agatha distributed the new scripts around the table until Anthony reached Kate.
She took the heavy stack of papers, raising an eyebrow at him. She couldn't deny her curiosity and excitement to read what they had prepared for the second movie, but it seemed longer than she had imagined.
She flipped to the last page, noted the page number, and with a continued raised eyebrow, said to Anthony, "One hundred and seventy pages."
Anthony simply shrugged, replying, "It's a long movie," before returning to his seat.
"No, I'm just asking, do you think it would take a long time for me to bleach my hair?" Thomas's voice, echoing slightly in the quiet room, trailed off as he crossed the threshold, Cressida following close behind, her expression a mixture of annoyance and impatience.
"I told you this is my natural hair color," she declared before heading to her seat.
Thomas shrugged, casually walking towards his seat beside Kate. He smiled at her before sitting down, immediately noticing the thick script in front of him.
"Looks like we're going to have a lot of work this year, huh?" he asked. "Are you ready for our scenes, or are you going to kick me to the curb, Miss Sharma?" he joked.
As Kate read the opening pages of the script, a slight twitch of her lips hinted at a smile, her chin lifting ever so slightly. Then, with a dry inflection, she said, "Usually, I reserve kicking to the curb for our director."
Thomas glanced at Anthony, who was engrossed in a conversation with Agatha, and smirked. "I suppose that's fair."
The two chuckled, unaware that Anthony was looking at them until someone poked him in the shoulder, causing him to tear his eyes away from the pair.
Anthony turned, recognising Colin as the one who'd summoned him, his eyebrows furrowing until his younger brother sighed and presented a large, elaborately decorated beige envelope. The director's eyebrows furrowed even further as he took it, looking at Colin in confusion.
"What is this?" He asked.
Colin looked at the object in his hands and replied, "What do you think it is?"
Anthony glanced down at the heavily decorated, cream-colored envelope and huffed, glaring at Colin as if he were a different sibling altogether. "Couldn't she have given it to me personally?"
Raising his eyebrows, Colin questioned, "Would you have accepted it?"
With a huff, Anthony placed the envelope on the table. "No, I would have gladly told her she's making a mistake." As Colin eyed him, Anthony straightened his back, adjusting his blazer, and declared, "But I'm happy if she's happy. I suppose."
"Ah, Colin," Agatha greeted with a bright smile as she spotted his arrival, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's been a while since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"
"It has," Colin politely smiled at her, taking another envelope from his shoulder bag and handing it to her. "This one is actually for you."
Agatha's eyes widened in surprise as she carefully accepted the envelope and then opened it. Her smile grew wider as she read Daphne and Simon's names inside. "They're going old-fashioned, I see. I haven't seen a real paper wedding invitation in a long time."
"You know how Daphne is," Colin commented with a half-exasperated, half-endearing sigh.
"That I do," Agatha commented, absentmindedly slapping the thick, cream-colored invitation between her hands, the embossed lettering catching the light. "I would say it surprises me that Simon, of all people, goes along with her, but we do everything for the people we love, don't we?"
Colin furrowed his eyebrows slightly, nodding despite the strange sensation in his chest. Throughout his life, he had numerous romantic relationships, but he couldn't remember a single time when he had been so completely and irrationally infatuated that his behaviour was completely out of character.
"No, I told them this week you only have Saturday afternoon free. And, oh, that representative from Byoma called again."
The trio turned, their eyes landing on Penelope and a petite auburn-haired woman who carried a tablet, her gaze fixed on the screen as she entered. Penelope sighed, hand to forehead, but Colin smiled at the sight of her before approaching.
"Pen?" he greeted her, noticing her distressed demeanour.
She glanced at him, her hand falling to her side. "Hi, Colin," she said, then nodded to the woman beside her. "This is Rae," she added, looking pointedly at Colin again, "my assistant."
He smirked at her slightly annoyed expression, then turned to the other woman, offering his hand and saying, with exaggerated politeness, "Hi, Rae.Extremelypleased to meet you," causing Penelope to roll her eyes.
Confused and shocked by the famous actor's words, Rae stared at him. Hesitantly, she shook his hand, stammering, "Pl…pleased to meet you, too."
"Alright," Penelope interjected, eager to end the conversation. She then turned to her assistant and instructed, "Tell them my week is fully booked and I can only meet them next week. Also, I'll talk to Mrs Varley about Byoma, so tell them to wait." Then, scanning the room, she added, "This might take a while, so you can take the afternoon off—"
"No, it's fine, I can wait," Rae replied. "I'll be right outside," she said, then left the room.
Penelope watched her go, dropping her hands to her sides, resigned to the fact that she would never understand that woman.
"Well, at least she can keep John company," Colin joked as they both walked towards their seats.
"Are they always like this?" Penelope asked, frustrated. "I get that she doesn't want to come across as lazy, but I really need a bit of time for myself."
"It's worse at the beginning," Colin commented with a shrug, pulling his chair out with a screech before settling into it. "Though John never changed, I suppose."
"That's just brilliant," Penelope sarcastically remarked, taking her seat beside him.
"Well, considering how enthusiastic she is about assisting with your schedule..." Colin trailed off, reaching into his bag. Penelope watched him with furrowed eyebrows as he turned to her, holding a cream-colored envelope in his hands. "You may want to keep this date available," he suggested.
She took the envelope from his hands and opened it, realising it was an invitation for Daphne and Simon's upcoming wedding, which was just over a month away. Amidst all the chaos that their movie had brought into her life, she had actually forgotten that Eloise and Colin had mentioned Daphne's impending marriage.
"Oh," Penelope murmured, her fingers delicately tracing the invitation's edges. She stared at the names of the bride and groom, elegantly written in silver ink and calligraphic flourishes. "I didn't even think she would invite me."
"Of course she would," Colin replied, as if her doubt was absurd.
Penelope shook her head and decided to place the invitation in her purse, hoping it would fade from her mind along with her past. She was about to say that she didn't get why it seemed so obvious she'd be invited, especially with her rocky relationship with Eloise, but then she held back. She realized that Eloise wasn't her only true connection to the Bridgerton family. In fact, it had been a topic of discussion between her and Colin just a few months earlier.
"Honestly, my family likes you even more than they like me," Colin said, trying to inject humour into the situation. Oblivious to Penelope's thoughts, he continued, "You have a better chance of getting invited to these events than I do."
"Still, I don't think I should go," she finally said. She looked at Colin and saw him furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "It will be awkward with Eloise there."
Which was only half a truth, she realised, as she gazed into Colin's deep, blue eyes. She wanted to keep her distance, no, she needed to keep her distance. As much as she loved the Bridgertons and always would, she had to come to terms with the idea of a life separate from them. She wasn't a part of their family and never would be. And once Colin got married and had children, she wouldn't be able to continue attending Bridgerton events and pretending everything was okay. So what was the point?
She glanced over at Kate, who was deep in conversation with Thomas, before catching Penelope's eye and enthusiastically waving to greet her, receiving a response in kind. Yes, Penelope had to remember that normal friends did not always attend their friend's sibling's weddings; in most cases, they were not invited at all.
"I don't think the ceremony will be too long," Colin interjected, bringing her focus back to their conversation. "In case you don't want to stay for the reception and risk running into Eloise."
"I'll think about it," she said, her lips pressed together, though her mind was already made up. "How is she? Eloise, I mean."
Colin let out a sigh. "Honestly? I don't know, Pen. She claims she's here for the wedding, but I know my sister."
"Did she mention where she plans to go after the wedding?" Penelope couldn't help but be curious, despite her anger towards Eloise.
"No," he responded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe she'll stay, who knows. Although she certainly didn't give any indication that she's looking for a place to live," he added with annoyance. Having Eloise as a roommate was certainly an interesting experience. It had been a decade since they lived under the same roof, and it hadn't exactly been the best of times.
Penelope chuckled. "On the bright side, if she doesn't leave, she might take care of your flat while we're away."
Colin tilted his head, considering her point. "One can hope."
"Everyone!" Agatha exclaimed, her voice ringing out, silencing the room instantly. Unbeknownst to Penelope and Colin, the room had filled up during their conversation, and even Charlotte had joined them, sitting beside Agatha and grooming her eyebrows while peering into a tiny mirror. "Welcome back. I'm pleased to announce this is our first 'The Sword and The Heart: Princess of the West' table read," Agatha announced, eliciting applause from the crowd. After a brief smile, she said, in that uniquely exasperated yet polite way only Agatha could achieve, "We have a long day, so please be quiet and let's finish this," before motioning for Anthony to proceed.
"Good afternoon," Anthony said in his usual dry and business-like tone. "I want to congratulate all of you on the success of the first movie. Well done." The room erupted in applause, more vigorously this time, the sound filling the air. His eyes scanned the crowd briefly, then settled on the script, which he gently adjusted. "Today, we have one hundred and seventy pages to go through, so I suggest everyone gets comfortable." Some groans could be heard from around the room. "As you know, this is just the first version, and we'll try not to make it much longer than this." He nodded decisively at the audience, then turned to Agatha, awaiting her cue.
Agatha, who had read the descriptive parts during the first table read, looked down at her script. An idea popped into her mind, and she turned to Charlotte with a raised eyebrow. "Why don't you read it today?" she suggested.
"Me?" Charlotte asked, raising her eyebrows as she tucked her mirror into her purse.
"Yes, of course. You're the author and our scriptwriter. If anyone is fit for the role, it's you," Agatha complimented.
A slight smile touched Charlotte's lips; she always appreciated flattery. "Alright," Charlotte agreed, reaching for her reading glasses and placing them on her nose. She looked down at the script in front of her and opened it to the first page.
"We find ourselves soaring over a darkened, damp forest. Snakes hiss, owls hoot, and every corner is covered in giant spiderwebs. The foliage is so thick that the ground cannot be seen. No one should be here, yet four figures are slowly making their way toward the river…"
"Did you manage to reach your brother prior to our departure?"Cressida said.
"No, I didn't want to worry him unnecessarily,"Colin replied."When we were contacted, I suspected we were being lied to. I didn't think—"
"That it would be the queen of the east nation," Cressida finished, following the script.
Colin nodded automatically, as if they were filming the scene rather than just reading it."Now it seems like it's too late, doesn't it?"
"You can't be certain,"Cressida replied, her voice softer now, a hint of understanding in her tone, mirroring Catherine's intended demeanour."He's your brother, I'm sure he won't think you betrayed him."
"I wouldn't be so sure,"Colin said.
"Leonidas then gazes ahead at the path that will lead them to the river," Charlotte continued reading the description aloud."It starts to rain, perfectly matching the gloomy feelings in his heart. No citizen from the South nation was allowed to cross that border, let alone a member of their royal family. Now, not only was he breaking his brother's law, but he was also doing it alongside his greatest enemy, the queen of the East. The scene then shifts slightly to the duo behind Leonidas and Catherine, Marjorie and Nora, who look ahead at the pair in front of them while shielding their heads from the impending rain."
"One of these days, he will succeed in killing me," Penelope read, attempting to convey the required annoyance in her tone.
"So far, it seems like he has failed miserably,"Kate added. "I genuinely believed you were dead, Nora. Alyah, Maeve, Vivienne, they all..."
"I know," Penelope interrupted."I should have died as well, but..."she paused, as indicated by the script
"Nora hesitates, unsure of how to explain her relationship with a man who was essentially Marjorie's enemy. However, we can see that Marjorie notices her hesitation regardless,"Charlotte said.
"I was just about to ask,"Kate said."What were you doing as a part of the south nation court and how—"
"I'm not part of the court I'm…"Penelope's trailed off."I'm Leonidas' friend,"she said, her cheeks burning slightly under the intense scrutiny of all eyes on her."He… He's the one who found me."
"His friend?"Kate exclaimed, the perfect inflection of surprise making it seem as though Marjorie herself occupied the seat and had spoken the words.
"Please, don't misunderstand me,"Penelope interjected."I wasn't secretly betraying you or acting as their informant or any of those things. I just..."She paused briefly, quickly scanning the rest of the script. "Do you remember how it used to be? Before the war, I mean."
At that point, the script showed that Kate would simply nod, but since it was a small line, Charlotte didn't read it, so Penelope continued. "There was a day when their parents came to our kingdom.It was a diplomatic visit of sorts.We were both children at that time, as were they."
"I remember that," Kate replied.
"Leonidas caught me struggling with dancing lessons. I don't know why, I was just practicing, and he happened to be walking around the palace and saw me. Obviously, he laughed at my face, as he always does, but for some reason, ever since then... we talked. We didn't care much about the rules back then, as none of us do when we're that young, and we just..." She let her voice trail off, as instructed."We became friends."
"All this time?" Kate asked.
Oddly, Penelope found herself nodding, as if she were actually in the conversation, until she remembered she had to read her line. "When the war started, we couldn't see each other anymore, so we just sent each other letters. Then, when he heard about the rebellion in our kingdom, he went to rescue me."
"He went there himself?" Kate said, sounding impressed.
"He's actually way more impulsive than he lets on," Penelope commented, a smile playing on her lips.
"Which might prove to be my biggest flaw because we have a problem," Colin suddenly interjected, following the script.
"Leonidas dramatically gestures toward a lone, battered little boat bobbing gently on the river a few meters away. While it appeared to be within swimming distance, he knew the waters were deeper than they seemed," Charlotte described.
"Were you listening to our private conversation?"Penelope asked pointedly, mirroring Nora's behaviour in prioritising her irritation with Leonidas over addressing the matter at hand.
"Oh, always," Colin replied, placing a hand on his chest in a manner reminiscent of his character.
"Nora's eyes narrow as she contemplates yelling at or hitting Leonidas. Meanwhile, Marjorie's attention is drawn to the boat drifting further away, and she realises that they need to stay focused."
"Okay, can we shift our attention to the fact that we could be trapped in this forest or your kingdom within five minutes?"Kate suggested.
"How many of you can swim?"Colin asked.
"Without hesitation, Marjorie and Cressida raised their hands, feeling content until they noticed Nora with both of hers down, glaring at Leonidas," Charlotte said.
"You know I can't,"Nora stated.
"And whose fault is that? You should have let me teach you when I told you to learn," Colin remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice as he found irony in the situation.
"Of course, because that would have been perfectly proper,"Penelope sarcastically retorted, already hearing the amusement in Colin's tone. "I don't know about you, but I wasn't keen on marrying you if someone caught us half-naked in a lake."
Colin gasped playfully. "Nora, there are ladies present. Show some decorum," he said in a humorous manner.
"While Leonidas and Nora continue their endless bickering, Marjorie exchanges a glance with Catherine before heading toward the riverbank. She then leaps into the water and effortlessly swims to the boat. Casting one last glance at the quarrelling pair, Catherine realises they wouldn't be moving anytime soon. Following Marjorie's lead, she reaches the boat by swimming as well. Marjorie surveys the boat and is surprised to find two old paddles. Catherine boards the boat, and with a raised eyebrow and a clever smile, Marjorie swiftly holds out a paddle to show they had found a solution to their problem. She then hands one of the paddles to Catherine, but not before removing her cloak and draping it around her. As a result of their swim, Catherine's damp dress clings to her body, nearly transparent, and she gracefully accepts the offered cloak,"Charlotte said.
"With those arms?" Penelope continued, her tone filled with judgment, continuing the Leonidas-Nora conversation that had happened off-screen.
"What's wrong with my arms?!" Colin replied, sounding offended.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but they look like twigs that would snap while trying to swim and carry me to the boat,"Penelope said, disregarding the absurd thought that Colin's arms didn't resemble twigs at all.
"First of all, my arms do not look like twigs," Colin defended, even raising one hand as if he was truly arguing with her. "Second, even a five-year-old child could carry you, you're minuscule."
"Minuscule?!"A hand flew to her chest as Penelope gasped, feeling the offense intensely.
Beside her, Colin couldn't help but feel an overwhelming urge to laugh, not quite sure at what exactly – whether it was the word itself, Penelope's small stature, or her genuinely outraged tone.
"Hey, you two," Kate interrupted."Are you planning on getting on the boat today or?"
Charlotte continued reading the scene's description, but Colin glanced at Penelope from the corner of his eye, finding her indignation quite amusing. She muttered, "This isn't funny," which only made him cover his mouth, struggling even harder to suppress his laughter.
"You can jump that far,"Colin resumed his line, despite their minor distraction.
"Nora eyes the wide expanse of water between the river bank and the distant boat, and considers that maybe she could indeed reach it by jumping, if only she were taller," Charlotte said.
"Um," Penelope hesitated, trying to sound unsure. "Maybe."
"Leonidas notices his friend's hesitation and immediately knows what's wrong; a smirk plays on his lips as he folds his arms."
"Unless..." Colin teased, his tone a bit too playful for Penelope's liking. "Your legs are too short."
"They're not," Penelope retorted, meeting Colin's gaze as if their argument, not Nora and Leonidas', was the real one.
Colin pursed his lips, contorting his face slightly as he said, "Maybe just a little," deviating from the script.
Penelope narrowed her eyes at him, a silent conversation passing between them, as the others around the table paused their script reading, their brows furrowed in slight confusion.
"Just jump, we'll catch you even if you fall into the water," Kate recited her line.
"Yes," Cressida chimed in, suddenly sharp, as she glanced back and forth between Colin and Penelope. "The water isn't even that cold."
Colin smoothly interjected, "Or, you know," the line perfectly delivered from memory, a feat that impressed everyone as he hadn't even looked at the script. In fact, he had his arms crossed and was gazing at Penelope while casually gesturing with his hands. "I could lift you up and simply... toss you," he said, struggling to finish his line as laughter threatened to escape.
Penelope shot him a glare, as if offended by the idea and somehow aware that he was envisioning the absurd scene of him tossing her. And that did it; Colin erupted in a fit of laughter. Penelope looked at her friend, who was practically doubled over with laughter, and realized she was in trouble. The ridiculousness of the situation dawned on her, and she too felt the urge to laugh.
"Stop laughing," she pleaded, pressing her lips together as she watched Colin cover his eyes, still unable to regain control.
"Give me a minute," he managed to say, his voice strained from laughter, which only made Penelope's own laughter escape from her lips.
"It's not that funny," she said, and he nodded, still laughing. "You could never actually toss me," she started to say, but Colin waved his hand dismissively, signalling her to stop, while he continued to laugh. Slowly but surely, Penelope found herself laughing as well.
It was Kate's turn to speak, but she stood there, slightly open-mouthed, watching the pair with a look of hesitation. Whispers and chuckles rippled around the table as everyone looked at them with varying degrees of confusion and amusement.
Agatha, however, observed from a distance, raising an eyebrow as she contemplated the situation. "Maybe..." she began, scanning the bewildered faces of those around her as Colin and Penelope's laughter still echoed faintly in the room. "We should take a break?"
"A break? We just started," Charlotte complained, gesturing towards the laughing pair as if they were misbehaving children.
Anthony, to everyone's surprise, only ran a hand over his face, massaging his temples as he spoke, "Fine." Several actors nearby nodded in agreement. "I could really use a coffee," he added, just as Kate chimed in, "I do need a coffee."
The two exchanged wide-eyed glances, realising that something truly strange was happening that day.
Agatha looked between them before suggesting, "Yes, we need to take a break."
Despite the initial mishaps, the table read for the second movie had been a success. In fact, Anthony believed that the next movie would be even better than the first.
With a smile on his face, he zipped up his shoulder bag, ready to continue his day and make all the necessary preparations. However, when he looked up, he saw Agatha approaching.
"I need to talk to you," she declared, sending a shiver of fear down his spine. She then turned to Charlotte, who was about to leave, and said, "You too."
The author, visibly annoyed rather than afraid, glared at Agatha as she placed her purse on the table. "I knew you would do this," she said. Agatha had spent the whole afternoon buttering her up, praising her script and emphasising the importance of her role in the movie production. It would be foolish not to suspect that the producer wanted something from her.
As soon as the room cleared and it was just the three of them, Agatha calmly closed the door and focused her gaze on the other two.
"Alright, out with it," Charlotte motioned with her hand. "I already know what you're going to say."
"Do you?" Agatha asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend, while Anthony watched in utter confusion.
"Yes," Charlotte replied, crossing her arms and staring at Agatha. "I've been expecting your call for months."
"So you know it's the right thing to do," Agatha swiftly responded, leaning over the table and looking at her friend knowingly.
"Absolutely not," Charlotte replied resolutely. "My work is perfect as it is. I will not stoop down to the trends of TikTok and Instagram to—"
"This is not what this is," Agatha said, her voice soothing yet firm, raising a hand to calm Charlotte.
"Excuse me," Anthony said, his face twisting in frustrated confusion, "but what exactly are we discussing here?"
Both women glared at him in annoyance, but it was Agatha who took it upon herself to explain.
"Leonidas and Nora," she said.
"What?" Anthony asked, his face scrunching up even more in confusion.
"Have you not been online at all?" Agatha said incredulously. "At least half of the comments are about them."
"Which is exactly why we should ignore them," Charlotte interjected. "I'll be caught dead before I'm a hostage of what theinternetthinks it wants about my work," she added, emphasising the wordinternetas if it were the most repulsive thing she had ever uttered.
"I tend to ignore every online comment about my movies," Anthony replied to Agatha's earlier question, causing both women to stare at him as if he had lost his mind.
"So you don't even know how much praise your work has been receiving?" Agatha asked, hoping to bring some sense to the senseless man.
"I believe the fact that people are questioning why I wasn't nominated for an Academy Award this year is all the validation I need," Anthony replied, a smug smile playing on his lips.
Agatha stared at him incredulously once again before dismissing him and turning to Charlotte. "This isn't about what the internet wants, it's about what makes sense," she said slowly, pressing her thumb and index finger together on both hands as if explaining something to a child. "I have produced plenty of movies, and I wouldn't say this if I didn't believe it to be true."
"People have always complained about this storyline ever since I first published the last book." Charlotte shook her head at their foolishness. "I was adamant then, and I am still now, that I will not change it."
"I think she has a point," Anthony commented. "The Leonidas and Nora storyline is perfect as it is. It's realistic."
Charlotte pointed at Anthony, indicating that he had understood her point perfectly, while Agatha closed her eyes and sighed.
"Realistic? You think having such strong feelings for someone and doing nothing about it is realistic?" Agatha's frustration grew with each passing moment. "Watching a deep friendship disappear before your eyes is realistic? Excuse me if I disagree. And you know what, there used to be a time when we saw eye-to-eye on this," she said, pointing a finger at Charlotte, her voice filled with accusation, leaving the author lost in thought.
"People grow apart, Agatha," Anthony replied, staring at her as if she were being unreasonable. "We may not like it, but that's just how life is."
But instead of calming Agatha down, it only angered her further. "So, is that why we create art? To tell people to give up because that's just the way life is?" She asked, raising her voice as Anthony struggled to find a response. "All those courageous heroes, daring princesses, all that honour, all that loyalty, should we destroy it all and reveal the harsh reality of life?"
Charlotte shook her head at Agatha, avoiding eye contact as she remarked, "They're only one part of the story. You're obsessed with this movie being a money-spinner, aren't you?"
Agatha glared at her. "I've always disagreed with your decision when you finished your books, but now, watching those two," she pointed at the now empty chairs where Colin and Penelope used to sit, "it couldn't be more obvious what the right decision for the story is. But it is your story, my friend, and I promised I wouldn't change it. All I can do is give you my opinion."
"And you definitely have," Charlotte remarked, observing Agatha intently as she considered her words. The author simply stared back at her friend, carefully weighing everything she had said. "So, what is your suggestion?" she asked, and upon seeing her friend raise an eyebrow, she added, "I know you have one."
Agatha then grinned triumphantly. "One page," she said.
"One page?" Anthony questioned, "To the script, you mean?"
"There's not much I can do with just one page," Charlotte remarked, already judging her friend's ideas while waiting for further explanation.
"Of course there is," Agatha commented. "I might sound foolish to both of you, but I assure you I'm not naïve. I won't recommend risking a large portion of my money by suddenly changing our source material, but I do know how to test the waters in the market."
Charlotte furrowed her brows, realising that Agatha had given more thought to this matter than she had realized. "Colour me intrigued," she said.
"We add just one page to the script—a single page to gauge audience reaction," she explained. Then, noticing Anthony and Charlotte's expectant faces, she added with a shrug, "That's all we need for a kiss scene."
A/N:
P H E W
As always, don't forget to check the LIKE OLD HOLLYWOOD playlist, because, you guessed it, I did make a few changes and...idk...it's just fun, might have some hints in there too, just saying.
Don't forget also your likes and reviews cause they're always deeply appreciated!
Merry (belated) Christmas to you all, God bless you and your families and see you on the next update!