Apples and Love

The Forbidden Fruit

Emma Swan Charming, who goes by Emma Swan, immediately regrets deciding to open her eyes. Above her is her mother leaning over with a grin that was a little too large for her face. Emma groaned.

"Mother...it is too early to rise yet. I really have not interest in getting out of bed today."

"Nonsense!" Snow White replied. "Today is your eighteenth birthday. You have a full day ahead of you dear. Eligible suitors, dress fittings, two balls, and several birthday jousts in your honor!"

For Emma, her mother was always much to over zealous when a celebration occurred. Emma hated meeting people, plastering a fake smile and nodding, and pretending to be the perfect princess when all she wanted to do was ride horses and fight like her father's knights.

"Mom? Look. I really appreciate all of this...fuss you are making over my birthday, but it is not a big deal."

"Darling, it's a big day. I worry if I don't make a fuss you would ignore it and pretend that your birthday was just any other day. Besides, you love food and on your birthday you can choose anything you want to eat. Don't you want anything for your birthday Emma?"

Emma rolled over in her large bed and held the pillow on top of her face as she mumbled, "Yeah Mom. I want a goddam apple. Why can't we have apples in our kingdom?"

Snow's smile slid from her face as she pried the covers off of Emma and took the pillow from her face.

"You know perfectly well why we don't eat apples in this kingdom. I'm not going to remind you of the horror I went through the last time I ate one."

Emma scoffed, "Mom it was a piece of fruit. Plus, didn't you say it was the best thing you ever tasted?"

Snow's eyes narrowed as she studied her teenage daughter. She pressed her lips together in a thin line and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yes. Yes Emma it was. But I fell into a deep sleep after biting into it and I never thought I would wake again."

"What I would do for a bite of that apple..." Emma mumbled under her breath as she pulled the covers back up. Snow shook her head at Emma, "Get up darling! We have much work to do!"

———3 hours later----------

Emma was exhausted from getting shoved into immaculate dresses lined with crystals so early in the morning. Around lunchtime she asked her parents if she could go outside and eat. They said she could, but only if she took a guard with her—and so she did. She quickly tore from her dress fittings and put on riding clothes.

EMMA'S POV

"Look dude. I appreciate the fact you want to keep me safe, but I can handle myself. I'm just eating lunch." The stupid guard narrowed his eyes at me and finally gave up. He bowed (which I hate) and went to his original position back to the palace wall.

I waited till he was out of sight, then I spirited to the stables and took my favorite horse, Christopher, who was a beautiful cream-white. I quickly leapt on him and rode him bareback.

I was determined to eat an apple, so I set off to find a goddamn apple tree.

I fiercely gripped Christopher's mane and leaned forward to increase his speed. I rode through all of the White Kingdom's villages and through the White forest, the one that surrounded our castle, until the brush became so dense I dared not open my eyes with a chance a stick may tear into them. I stopped Christopher to lead him through the brush until we eventually found the edge of the forest.

There was a long dirt path, in which caused me to remount Christopher and follow it. After about twenty minutes, I dare say two hours had passed since I was last in the White Kingdom, I spotted a large estate. My curiosity begged me to move forward, so I did. It was not long until a large hill on the side of the estate revealed a flourishing tree of vibrant greens, dotted with scarlet reds.

Immediately drawn to it, I tied of Christopher to a nearby tree and began running towards the other. Like a man in the desert, I ferociously pulled a seemingly perfect apple from a branch and lustfully bit into it.

My head spun with joy at the delectable forbidden fruit. Its juices so nicely surrounded my tongue with a tasteful pleasure I had never had the privilege of knowing. I was about to take my second bite when I hear a deep, feminine chuckle behind me.

I turned. I never thought I had seen something so beautiful, so perfect as the red apple before, but then I saw her.

The woman who'd chuckled behind me wore a deep burgundy dress that hugged her figure like a second skin. The dress cut into a deep V shape which poured out cleavage—probably much too inappropriate to be seen in. At least that's what Mom would say. I gulped as I realized I was staring at her chest. My eyes landed on hers and the air went out of my lungs. My heart stopped for a second...and then I fainted.