Bitter Apples (fiction)

"Bitter Apples" is a short story set in the Other universe.
==Blurb==
The kiss of the Emperor is poison, and only his destined consort may bear it. Sickened by her attempt, Erianthe decides she is not the one. Or is she?
==Author's Comments==
If you ever wondered what it would be like if I wrote a fairy tale in the traditional style, "Bitter Apples" is your answer. I got this one from a dream so vivid it clogged my head all the way to work, and on my first break in the morning I put it down in one sitting. I can still see the cubicle in the corner of my eye, remembering myself writing it... so intense was the experience of translating it from head to keyboard.
At the time I tried to sell it there weren't a lot of markets for this kind of thing; straight fantasy or sword and sorcery were more common. So I never placed it anywhere. My most memorable rejection involved being told I was supporting the patriarchy by writing stories oppressive to women. I spent the next few days reading and re-reading the piece, wondering what I'd missed. (The answer, I think, was "that market will probably never buy anything from you.")
==Notable Characters==
*Erianthe
*The Emperor
==Purchase Details==
"Bitter Apples" is available for purchase as a stand-alone e-book, and is also included in the collection Blades and Bitter Apples.
Format 	Pgs/Size	Cost 	ISBN/ASIN
E-book (SW/Amazon)	18kb 	$0.99	B004QOAHD6
Category:Fiction