(x) Irregular Magic

chapter 7 - where Mattie decides to be a badass, part 2

The humming prism deactivated, its glow fading.

"Offender, the High Wizard Prosecution recognizes you were unaware of the true circumstances regarding Heather Zhang's death. Therefore, the consequences of your actions were unforeseen and the culpability of the disturbance to the peace lies more heavily on Ren Mizuno. Mr. Mizuno, also from Cavmoire School, has been arrested for this crime and is awaiting official conviction."

Mattie stood up, fighting the magic that tied her to the table. "No!" she cried. "Ren didn't—" Her mouth closed on its own, as Inness gripped the purple pendant again. Her protests were muffled by the enchantment that silenced her.

"You will speak only when you are spoken to," the eldest Somerhall said, nary a trace of emotion on his stern face. "In light of your standing at Cavmoire School and your achievements as a student, the agreed upon sentence is four months at Kiore County, minimum-security penitentiary for minor offenders. In two months you may apply for parole based on good behavior."

His words were met with outrage from the spectators.

At first, Mattie was astonished. People were angry at her sentence. Mages were angry at her sentence. That meant that they, like she, saw the ridiculousness of the entire thing.

And then Mattie began to hear individual accusations from the crowd.

"What kind of justice is this?"

"She should get four years at Havmitt!"

Havmitt? That was a high-security prison meant for international criminals, not a nonmagical minor.

"My boy stopped going to school because of her!"

"She's an inciter! The nonmagicals are rebelling again!"

"Four years for the normie!"

"Four years!"

"Down with the normies!"

Bewildered and terrified, Mattie faced forward, keeping her eyes trained on Inness. He was white with rage. "Silence!" he boomed, gripping the silencing pendant again. Almost immediately, a hush fell on the court. "The High Wizard Prosecution recognizes Mattie Andersen's intentions to grieve for a fellow student. Any disturbances to the peace is incidental and not directly attributed to the Offender in question. In light of this, a minimum sentence has been issued for Ms. Andersen. The student who was arrested for the premeditated murder of Ms. Zhang will be facing the full brunt of the penalty for disruption of the peace. However, as the student in question is a zero-affinity magical, he will be shown minimal leniency."

It was hard listening to her brother talk in such technical, brusque terms. She wanted to run up and make him talk plainly, without the flowery language he and the other High Wizards seemed so keen on.

There was some advantage to having a brother who served in the House of Orange. Mattie knew how the High Wizard trials went.

Though the Offender can be silenced during the trial by the High Wizard, there was a brief moment at the end where they were allowed to speak freely. That came after she was given her official sentence. She would wait for that opportune moment. Her one chance where Inness would not be able to stop her from speaking. Gritting her teeth, Mattie clenched her fist and patiently waited.

The rest of the trial was almost impossible to bear. Inness brought out the pieces of evidence the Inquisitor had shown her two nights ago. She could feel the room's occupants shift uneasily as the two files were played, one after the other. More than once, Inness had used the silencing pendant.

It was almost like watching a tragic play, where everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong at the same time. It was such a messed up scenario that it was nearly comical. She wondered if this was how most trials went. Were all the criminals who were detained at Havmitt and Kiore and Elexta and all the other prisons actually guilty of what they had been accused of?

A week ago, Mattie would have ardently argued for the House of Orange.

Now that she was in this very seat, asked question after question about things she hadn't said, Mattie wasn't so sure. Any layperson listening to the trial would think she was indeed guilty. Mattie knew for herself she wasn't but she had to admit the magical evidence was compelling.

At last, the end had come. Inness stood and spoke directly to her, for the first time looking worn out.

"Mattie Andersen, for your charge of conspiracy of rebellion and intent to disrupt the peace by association, under Magical Ordinance 87, you are hereby sentenced to four months at Kiore County. You will be allowed to apply for parole two months into your four month sentence. You are allowed to stand and give your final words. If you would prefer to remain silent, you can stay seated."

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Breathe, dammit!

Mattie slowly stood on shaky legs that threatened to fold under her. Did she really dare? She couldn't imagine what the consequences would be.

Her indecision was short-lived.

Of course she dared. One life had already been lost. She wasn't responsible for it, and neither was Ren. The real culprits would get away with a slap on the wrist, but Ren would be sentenced to die.

Mattie took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut.

If she hesitated now, it would be another that she might have prevented.

It was quite possibly the longest ten seconds of her life, between when she stood and began to speak.

"I would like to address the court," Mattie said formally, her gaze piercing. Three years she had been president of Cavmoire. And before that she had served on the Advisory Committee. She put into use the experience she had gained from standing up for her fellow nonmagicals.

Inness seemed slightly shocked by the ferocity of her gaze. "And you, Inness." She paused, knowing her words would sink in in a second.

At once, whispers struck the crowd. Someone shouted at her from behind—"How dare you address a High Wizard by name, normie!"

The spectators booed her. Some suggested Inness should silence her, even though Mattie knew that was against Regulation 14, An Offender's Right to Speech.

Inness looked too stunned to react.

Mattie had a hard time speaking over the chatter so she gave in at last and stuck the stickerspell on her throat. The spell did its work and allowed her voice to rise above the din of the crowd. "I would like to correct the official record."

The scribe who was near her spluttered in confusion. It took a moment for her to gather her thoughts, turn on the memory-prism, and set it to record as she was supposed to.

"I misspoke when giving my identity earlier."

Her brother stared at her, the expression on his face one of mingled fury and astonishment.

There wasn't anything he could do, and Mattie had counted on that.

"I am not Mattie Andersen. My name is Matthia Somerhall, daughter of Alicia and Michaelo Somerhall. I am a zero-affinity magical."

-

There's so much I love about writing this story. 

World building, for one.

And I can pretend I'm doing work when I'm actually writing. 

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