Chapter two warning: Slight Grim/Mandy

All the seats of The Royal Theatre of Winter Gates were taken. It was the premiere of court musician Nergal Junior's play "Carriage of the Seven Stars" and the entire court and aristocracy were gathered, ravished by the beautiful female singer sitting on a crescent moon swing; apparently hanging in the air. Nergal Junior's plays were known throughout the kingdom for their splendor, though the popularity of the writer himself was rather low. He was known to be quite the maniac.

The most important member of the audience was seated in Box 1, surrounded by the most trusted members of her court. Queen Mandy, dressed in a green silk gown rimmed with ermine, leaned over the banister for an even closer look, and swallowed a yawn. She was usually entertained by Nergal Junior's works, but tonight she only attended as it was a formal event where she was required to appear. She was so tired; she had spent the last year fighting a famine in her kingdom. Things were now better for her people, who were mostly farmers.

The orchestra and the singer concluded their performance to thundering applause. Mandy politely took part, and a moment later her very loyal adviser Grim was standing by her side. "Your Majesty, Your carriage has arrived." He said in his heavy Jamaican accent.

"Excellent," Mandy said. Grim waited until she had risen from her seat before leaving the box.

The grand staircase was full of aristocrats congratulating Nergal Junior and the actors. The queen however, made an effort not to even look in his direction. Two princesses in crespines opened the doors and bowed their heads as the queen exited.

Winter Gates' location is now forgotten, but in its time it was one of the most powerful of empires. It was a realm of mortals; though with strong connections and friendship with the Underworld, and it was always winter. This is how the Grim Reaper himself became the Queen's adviser. He was, at that time, satisfied with being subordinate to a human, as he held some power over the living in addition to his supremacy over the dead.

Queen Mandy was coroneted and inaugurated in the Dimhald Castle when she was three and had ruled proficiently ever since. Her feet not even dangling from the seat of the throne, and holding a globus cruciger larger than her head, she had helped the people through wars, diseases and famine. She was also gifted with witchcraft and at the age of five, Grim adorned her with the Silver Scythe, an honor received only three times by mortals the last thousand years.

The skeletal Grim, grandly dressed in a Spanish judge's attire, opened the door to the royal carriage and helped the little queen up the steps. He would teleport back to Dimhald, but Mandy preferred a classier way of travel. The coachman, a goblin with green bat wings, cracked the whip and the coach went off.

It was in the late November, and a heavy snowfall powdered the proud towers and battlements of Mandy's castle. The vast Dimhald Castle was partially carved right out of the mountain, with a moat full of black water surrounded by the guards' cottages. Mandy always enjoyed looking at these when she was little, and even though not as much anymore, she always caught herself stealing a look at the humble homes of her subjects.

Grim was waiting for Mandy in the courtyard. "Your Majesty…"

"It's Mandy, Grim," she said determinedly. "I think it's rude not to call someone by their names when you have known them all their lives."

"Sorry, Mandy." Grim sighed inside of himself. "And I apologize for bringing you this news now, when I know you'd rather be sleeping."

Mandy was instantly alerted. "What news?"

"The I.C.U.P is at it again. They have released a new batch of libelous flyers in town, but do not worry; they have been arrested."

Mandy's face turned cold. "Where are they?"

"Waiting in the dungeons," Grim answered as the entrance to the castle was opened by two servants. Grim lifted Mandy's olive velvet cape off her shoulders and tossed it over to one of the servants.

The hallway to the throne room was illuminated with torches, and on both sides the walls were adorned with large portraits of past queens. Mandy's had already been assigned a place.

Mandy's favorite members of the court were already seated. Most of them were reading or embroidering, but there was a terrible racket from the corner, where Mandy's best friend was sitting, clamping away on the virginal. Billy was the Queen's ward and not of royal blood at all, but was just as powerful as Mandy when it came to bossing people around.

"Hi, Mandy!" He exclaimed overjoyed at the sight of his friend. He sped over to her and was about to hug her, but reconsidered and instead blew his big, pink nose in Grim's cloak.

"Hey, I told you to stop that!" Grim said, very annoyed and tore the cloak out of the boy's hands. Billy laughed again. "This is my new music piece," he said clumsily and assumed his rough-handed tickling of the ivories.

Mandy sat down on her throne and Grim clapped his hands in order to clear the room. A corpulent demon, also with the Silver Scythe around his neck, handed Mandy the infamous flyer. It read: "Queen Mandy - The biggest threat to our world. Support Lady Mindy for a kingdom run in style!" The rest of the flyer was dominated by a caricature of Mandy – as very tiny, flat-chested and with her nose in the air. Mandy's grip tightened around the piece of paper and shriveled it with a furious glimmer in her eyes.

"Send in the prisoners," she growled.

Grim snapped his fingers, and a group of seven people appeared out of nothing. They shivered. Mandy noticed that the group all had painted pink nails, even the three grown men.

"So," Mandy said sternly. "You think you can betray me and get away with, do you?"

The biggest member of the group hiccupped in fear as he looked at the queen. She was far more terrifying than the leader had told them.

Mandy's face turned to an evil grin. "I'm gonna make an example of you. To the stocks," she said and pointed at the group.

The group begged for mercy as the guards pulled them away. The location of the stocks was right outside the castle, in the freezing snow. Prisoners were freed after eight hours – if Mandy remembered it. And with her busy days, who could blame her for occasionally forgetting?

-

"The I.C.U.P. Oh, those weaklings," Mandy mumbled. She was sitting by her makeup table in the bedchamber. Grim was brushing her hair, one of the hundreds of duties he had to keep his high position.

The militia group I.C.U.P or Imperial Crown Usurper Party had always been resisting Mandy and her governing method that ensured even the poorest of the people financial security and education. Ever since Mandy was chosen over Mindy to rule Winter Gates, that was. Mandy had no respect for the stupid and ignorant. The I.C.U.P, lead by the supercilious and elitist Lady Mindy, took Mandy's laws for being a drain on society. Mandy was amused at this at first, as it was a clashing manifesto for a bunch of mercenaries. Their policy made sense later, as Mindy proposed "riches where riches are due"- policy. Of course, nobody living in Mandy's free realm (it was Grim's idea to make Winter Gates a free country. Mandy wanted dictatorship at first) with great human rights would stand for this madness. So Mindy returned to her chateau on the west side of the kingdom. Mandy considered the I.C.U.P a big nuisance, but nothing more. That was one of her few mistakes.

Mandy sat down on her impressive four-poster bed, also carved out of stone. Grim was fluffing her favorite pillow. "Don't worry so much, Mandy," he said encouragingly. The little queen kicked off her slippers and put her head down. "I don't. No matter what they do, we are always five steps ahead.

Grim knew what she meant. "You're of course right. Good night now."

He blew out the light as he exited the queen's chamber, and Mandy fell asleep with a strange, relaxed look on her face.