A Tale of Magic... Read Online Free PDF

trouble finding her way to the door.
    “I don’t know who is supplying you with these, but you need to cut ties with them immediately,” Mrs. Evergreen said. “Do you know what the punishment is for girls who get caught reading in public? Three months in a workhouse! And that’s with your father’s connections!”
    “But, Mother,” Brystal asked, “ why aren’t women allowed to read in this kingdom? The law says our minds are too delicate to be educated, but it isn’t true. So what’s the real reason they keep books from us?”
    Mrs. Evergreen paused in the doorway and went silent. Brystal figured her mother was thinking about it, because she rarely paused for anything. Mrs. Evergreen looked back at her daughter with a long face, and for a brief moment, Brystal could have sworn she saw a rare spark of sympathy in her mother’s eyes—like she had been asking herself the same question all her life and still didn’t have an answer.
    “If you ask me, women have enough to do as it is,” she said to bury the subject. “Now get dressed. Breakfast isn’t going to make itself.”
    Mrs. Evergreen turned on her heel and left the room. Tears came to Brystal’s eyes as she watched her mother depart with her books. To Brystal, they weren’t just stacks of parchment bound by leather; her books were friends that offered her the only escape from the suppressive Southern Kingdom. She dried the corners of her eyes with the edge of her nightgown but her tears didn’t last very long. Brystal knew it was only a matter of time before she would rebuild her collection—her supplier was much closer than her mother realized.
    She stood in front of her mirror as she applied all the layers and accessories of her ridiculous school uniform: the white dress, white leggings, lacy white gloves, a fuzzy white shoulder wrap, and white buckled heels, and to complete the transformation, Brystal tied a white ribbon in her long brown hair.
    Brystal looked at her reflection and let out a prolonged sigh that came from the bottom of her soul. Like all the young women in her kingdom, Brystal was expected to resemble a living doll anytime she left her home—and Brystal hated dolls. In fact, anything that remotely influenced girls to want motherhood or marriage was instantly added to her list of things to resent—and given the Southern Kingdom’s stubborn views of women, Brystal had acquired a long list over time.
    For as long as she could remember, Brystal had known she was destined for a life beyond the confinements of her kingdom. Her accomplishments would surpass acquiring a husband and children, she was going to have adventures and experiences that exceeded cooking and cleaning, and she was going to find undeniable happiness, like the characters in her books. Brystal couldn’t explain why she felt this way or how it would happen, but she felt it with her whole heart. But until the day arrived that proved her right, Brystal had no choice but to play the role society had assigned her.
    In the meantime, Brystal found subtle and creative ways of coping. To make her school uniform bearable, Brystal put her reading glasses on the end of a gold chain, like a locket, and then tucked them into the top of her dress. It was doubtful she would get to read anything worthwhile at school—young women were only taught to read basic recipes and street signs—but knowing she was prepared to read made Brystal feel like she was armed with a secret weapon. And knowing she was rebelling, however slightly, gave her the energetic boost she needed to get through each day.
    “Brystal! I meant breakfast TODAY! Get down here!”
    “I’m coming!” she replied.

    The Evergreen family lived in a spacious country home just a few miles east of the Chariot Hills town square. Brystal’s father was a well-known Justice in the Southern Kingdom court system, which granted the Evergreen family more wealth and respect than most families. Unfortunately, because their