Chapter 28
Monday morning dawned bright and cold. Magnus shifted uncomfortably on the narrow cot that comprised one of the few bits of furniture in his austere cell. The guard, Jessie, would be bringing breakfast soon and this day, the first day of his trial, would begin in earnest. Magnus sighed heavily and pushed himself into a sitting position. He wished he could feel even a glimmer of hope for the future, but realistically, the Clave was positively hidebound where their rules were concerned, 'sed lex dura lex', he wished he had a dollar for every time some shadowhunter had spouted that old chestnut at him. Just then, he heard the scraping of a metal tray that told him breakfast had arrived.
"Already up I see;" Jessie Bradshaw said as he slid the food toward his prisoner. "Better eat that while its hot, your advocate will be here in half an hour;" The shadowhunter didn't know how it had happened, but he'd gone from suspicion, and distrust of his infamous charge, to the beginnings of concern and even friendship.
"Thanks Jessie." Magnus said quietly. He doubted he'd be able to eat anything this morning, but that was hardly his guard's fault. The warlock watched as Bradshaw, about to continue his rounds, stopped and turned back towards him.
"Good luck today, Magnus;" It was said quietly, with a sincerity that impressed Magnus.
"Children are one of life's blessings;" The shadowhunter continued: "I don't imagine there's any better reason to live, if not to nurture the next generation." The warlock had never tried to impress Jessie, and the guard found himself, against his beliefs, almost against his will, touched by the humanity of the man.
A small, sad smile graced Magnus face; "Thanks Jessie;" He said as he watched the guard walk down the cold dark hallway.
~~~~~!~~~~~
Isabelle and Maryse Lightwood entered the packed courtroom for the first day of Magnus' trial. Neither woman had ever attended a proceeding of the Court of Assize, and were impressed by the size and grandeur of the courtroom. The high, vaulted ceilings soared above them, held up by massive stone walls pierced at intervals by ethereal stained glass windows depicting various scenes of Jonathan Shadowhunter and the Angel Raziel. At the front of the room, on a large dais was an elaborately carved wooden table and five high backed red leather chairs. The Justices of the Court would sit there to listen to the facts of the case, and render their judgments. Just below that were two smaller tables, one for the prosecution, and one for the defense. Witnesses were placed in a small box adjacent to the Justices. Two long galleries ran the length of the room on either side for spectators, and there was a small seating area behind the defense and prosecution tables for the friends and family of the participants. Maryse and Isabelle made their way to reserved seats behind the defense table. Jace, who had accompanied them to the court had been escorted to the witness room. He would not be able to watch the trial until he finished giving evidence.
Isabelle glanced over as the Advocate for the Defense, Asher entered through a side door, followed by Magnus. The warlock was flanked by two guards, and Isabelle thought she had never seen her flamboyant brother-in-law look so different. Magnus sleek, black hair was worn long and straight, no product or glitter to mold it into a dramatic fashion statement. He wore a plain, black robe and his face was a calm mask that showed neither fear nor apprehension at his unenviable situation. Isabelle, who had seen Magnus wear everything from glittering armour to avant guard club clothes found him oddly impressive in his stark, unadorned state.
Turning her attention to Magnus' Advocate, Isabelle tried to read something in the fairy's serene, untroubled expression, some hope for the ultimate success of their case. She knew it was an exercise in futility, but couldn't help herself. Helplessness did not suit Isabelle lightwood, and she had never felt so helpless to protect those she loved.
A sudden flurry of sound had her checking the opposite side of the courtroom, the prosecutor had just entered. Isabelle recognized him as a shadowhunter, Thomas Crestwell, someone she knew by sight, but not in any other way. He appeared to be in is late thirties, of a stocky build, with regular features, sandy blond hair, imminently forgettable, except for his eyes; they glittered with intelligence, confidence even to the point of cruelty, and they made her shudder.
The entrance of the five Justices arrested the attention of the whole court. Their appearance was heralded by the sounding of a large gong, and Isabelle could see that that the panel was made up of two warlocks and two shadowhunters. The chief justice was the last to appear, a werewolf judging by his stocky, powerful appearance. All the Justices, save the Chief Justice, took their seats. Isabelle felt, as much as saw, his dark, intense eyes scan the courtroom. Then in a voice that brooked no dissent, he called the court to order. The silence in the room was oppressive, and Isabelle was almost relieved when an officer of the court stood up to introduce the judicial panel, ending with the words; "Chief Justice Jason Gray presiding!"
The Chief Justice took immediate control of the court, announcing the charges that Magnus was being accused of, the theft and use of an illegal spell, and asking for the warlock's plea to those charges. Magnus rose to his feet, head held high, looking directly at the Chief Justice; "Not Guilty!" The words rang out clearly in the quiet room, and Isabelle saw Asher reach up to touch Magnus arm, as if reminding him that it would not do to challenge the court unnecessarily. She also saw a flicker of emotion pass over the Chief Justice's face, it was gone so quickly that Isabelle couldn't be sure she had actually seen it. Had she realized that a werewolf member of the Hellfire club, killed at Eilean Donan was one Hunter Gray, she might have been even more concerned for the fate of her loved ones.
Once Magnus plea was recorded, the prosecutor was given permission to present his opening statement, and begin the case against the accused. Magnus' Advocate would be given the opportunity to cross examine all the prosecution's witnesses, but would not give his own opening statement or call defense witnesses until the prosecution had presented their case.
Thomas Crestwell rose from his seat and moved to the front of the Justices' table. From that position, he declared he would prove 'beyond a reasonable doubt' that High Warlock Magnus Bane had the means, motive and opportunity to steal an illegal spell from the Silent Brothers of Mont Saint-Michel. That having acquired the information, he then proceeded to invoke the spell against both Coven and Clave law. It was a short, concise, speech which was followed by the calling of the first witness, Brother Jarius.
The tall, gaunt Silent Brother walked quietly to the witness box. He was accompanied by a shadowhunter who would act as interpreter. It had been determined having spectators and Court members hear Brother Jarius' testimony in their minds might be too disconcerting for all concerned.
Under direct examination, Brother Jarius recounted Magnus unexpected visit to see Brother Armand at Mont Saint-Michel almost four years ago. He explained that Brother Armand was in fact the ancient warlock, Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, former Cardinal of the Catholic Church, First Minister of France, and High Warlock of Paris. A gasp was heard in the courtroom as very few of the spectators realized there had been far fewer rules about interfering in mundane matters back then. The Chief Justice called the Court back to order, admonishing the spectators that he would clear the courtroom if they could not control their reactions. Isabelle, remembered the impressive, complicated man she had met all those years ago, and wondered what the Court would have made of Brother Armand, had he still been alive to address them.
Brother Jarius continued his testimony, admitting that Magnus Bane had been left alone at the monastery for a short time while he went to ascertain whether Brother Armand would see his visitor. And yes it was possible that Magnus could have slipped into the library while Brother Jarius was gone, but he would have to have known precisely where the book was. Advocate Crestwell asked if Brother Armand could have supplied information on the spell to Magnus. The Silent Brother indicated that this too might have been a possibility. Brother Armand spent many years at Mont Saint-Michel and, over time, he'd been granted free access to the library there.
After Crestwell had finished with the witness, Asher rose and asked Brother Jarius whether he'd been present during the meeting between Magnus Bane and Brother Armand. The Silent Brother's response had been a decided no, and Asher went on to add; "So you have no way of knowing whether they were discussing the weather, or anything else?" Brother Jarius responded that he was not present, and did not know what the men had discussed. Asher indicated he had no further questions for the witness and Brother Jarius was excused.
Isabelle did not have any way of gauging whether the testimony of Brother Jarius had hurt Magnus' case. She, herself did not know how Magnus had come by his knowledge of that spell. Still, she suspected the prosecution had at least raised the possibility that Magnus had accessed the information when he visited Mont Saint-Michel, and the timing certainly seemed suspicious, even to her. But Isabelle also knew that Magnus had agreed to help Lucia become pregnant centuries ago, and though he hadn't intended to go through with it, she wondered if the warlock had already know the spell then? Isabelle heaved a heavy sigh, sometimes the secrecy that surrounded her brother-in-law's long, life drove her crazy. Time, and Alec had taught her to trust Magnus, but she doubted it would be a view shared by many in that crowed courtroom.