Thank you so much for the kind reviews. It's really motivational and helps me to include the readers into the story. I warn you; it gets darker from this chapter on. I have the whole story thought out, but I need some help; I want to know what you want to read and work it into the story, some cool weapons for instance. Thanks.


The rivalry between Mandy and Mindy was old news to the Winter Gates. Anyone could have told you that the two young ladies were both royals of the blood and of almost the same status when Queen Claire, Mandy's mother died. The little heiress was only three years old, but the children of Winter Gates were different from other children throughout the world. In fact, Mandy was very gifted, intelligent and modest; virtues Mindy's family considered worthless. She was stern, but not a tyrant, as history and popular culture would later portray her.

But governing of Winter Gates was not limited to the Queen alone. In the early days of the kingdom the brightest heads of the population decided that to keep peace and equality between the mortal and immortal citizens a council with members of both kinds was needed to monitor and advise the Queen. The council, the Scythe Lodge was designed by the Grim Reaper, who had presided as head of the organization ever since. To keep a balance of power in the country the monarch was always a mortal woman, and the leader of the Scythe Lodge an immortal man. It may seem strange that Grim would want to form such strong personal bonds with someone he would later have to escort to the Land of the Dead, but all careers have a downside. That and Grim was thought, by the rest of the Lodge to be very helpful in developing Mandy's powers. Grim earned the prominent title "Queen's Professor" in a time of precarious economy, meaning there was an excellent chance of later upgrades.

Mindy was not rejected by the House of Mandy originally and had the same right to its fortune as the rest of the royals. But she was a spoiled, elitist brat and also an extremely narrow-minded student. Mandy was actually insightful enough to understand how people's favoring of her over Mindy must have been a blow. But everything happened for a reason. Mandy always said that if something seemed completely crazy at first it would make sense sooner or later, and the later it did the more you could learn.

Grim and Mandy formed a strong relationship, which was reinforced by Lady Mindy's rebellion. Typical for Mindy's little army was espionage, libelous slandering of the Queen and Scythe Lodge members, the occasional kidnappings of people from the lower classes and attempts of revolution. Mandy was afraid of revolution. At the age of seven a nearby country declared war on hers and she had to lead her armies into battle. She saw many good citizens fall that day, and it felt horrible. She remembered it as if it was yesterday.

The rain of arrows had ended. The screaming, shouting and booming of the canons had ceased. There was an ethereal mist over the battlefields of Winter Gates, where brave men and women had sacrificed their lives to protect the Queen. But now the queen had returned to her castle, and was sitting alone in the throne room, quietly sobbing on the stairs to her dais. She did not even notice her most loyal companion entering the room.

"Mandy, what is wrong?" Grim sat down next to her and put his hand on her arm.

Mandy wiped her face. "So many innocent people are dead, Grim. And even worse, so many children have lost their parents because of me."

"Now, child, why do you think that?" Grim asked.

"I lead them into battle. There was no other way to keep the enemy off our land, Grim. It was impossible to negotiate with them."

Grim looked at her; wise and understanding. His eye sockets were maybe empty and his heart silent, but he did indeed comprehend a lot.

"You made the only right choice, child. And you were very, very strong. You have not let anyone down."

Mandy wiped her face with the skirts of her dress. "You really think so?"

"I know so, I'm the Grim Reaper. In fact…"

Grim searched inside one of his sleeves, and his hand came out with a little velvet box. He opened it to reveal the jewel inside.

"The Silver Scythe!" Mandy exclaimed.

"That's correct," Grim replied. "This is only given to the brave and wise. If you were not worthy of it, its chain would never fit around your neck, but…"

Grim put the necklace around Mandy's neck and the ends of the thin silver chains magically merged seamlessly together. "Now, the first wearing of the Silver Scythe is supposed to be a grand occasion, but I figured this was better."

The little Queen smiled at Grim, though not with her lips, but with her eyes.

The memories filled Mandy's head. It was dinnertime at the castle, and the court, both humans and immortals were seated at the table. The Dimhald dining room had been depicted in several paintings over the years, prized for its lovely atmosphere and style. As with all interiors of Dimhald its architecture was a splendid combination of Byzantine, Gothic and by Mandy's order, a few Tudor elements. Dimhald was Winter Gates' shrine to history, beauty and culture fit for a queen. Seated under the huge stain glass panel depicting Mandy's great grandmother and her hunting party eating under a willow, the most joyous part of each day took place.

Mandy was served unfermented orange drink, a new and surprisingly good hit in the country, as well as a slice of rotisserie marlin by the servants who tended the table. Mandy was probably the only one in the castle who took pride in eating healthy. Billy, seated on the queen's right side, was blissfully stuffing his face with sweetmeat bars.

Outside the snow was falling, ensuring the cozy moment, until Grim came in through the archway. Dinnertime peace at court had only been disturbed a few times in the past, and it always meant bad news. "Your Majesty," he said apprehensively. "General Irwin is requesting an audience right away. He says it can't wait."

Mandy put her cup down. "Send him in."

General Irwin followed behind Grim before the banquet table wearing the Queen's uniform. He was quite brave and an asset, but was also known for being very awkward in formal settings. He had requested the Queen's hand in marriage many times before, and the Scythe Lodge had supported this, as he was a fine match and equally famous throughout the world. Mandy agreed with their logic, but luckily for her the perceptive Grim had deemed the queen as not in the right health for a marriage, much less having children, and so put an end to any proposals. Mandy was only ten years old, but this argument did not convince the Scythe Lodge as marriages were arranged for even younger royal women.

"Your Majesty, yo," the general cleared his throat. "Yesterday at 1900 hours, Officer Pud'n was reported missing. It has been 24 hours and he has not punched in or been seen. This can be due to a delay, but he has never before failed to send a message, yo."

The queen rose from her seat, her eyes sparkling dangerously. "I rather doubt that. Thank you, General. Grim, Billy, follow me."

In the hall of Mirrors, where the great parties and banquets found place in certain times of the year, there was a painting as big as a modern house. It depicted baby Mandy with her mother and father, and Mandy felt strange, as if the little girl in her parent's arms was a different person. Behind the portrait was a staircase of stone that lead to Mandy's secret magic room.

"Grim," she said solemnly. "Some time ago I read about the first ruler of Winter Gates, Queen Abigail, who found a way to keep her beauty and stay immortal. Thanks to a certain spell, and through not crying, smiling or showing any emotion at all she managed to postpone her death with eight hundred years."

Her adviser scoffed. "Oh, yes, I remember that. The Underworld Court lowered my paycheck because of that woman."

"She found this spell where we will find ours," Mandy pretended not to hear him. "Billy… she turned to her friend, who had picked down a bottle of arsenic from the many shelves in the dark room and was about to eat it's content.

"Yes, your Heinieness?" he answered.

"Go fetch… The Book of Hours. You know where it is."

Billy saluted her with a hand gesture. "Will do!"

As he scurried out, Mandy continued her story. "Abigail was known for being the most reviled ruler in history, as her thirst for everlasting life was a drain on the kingdom and its people. She also underestimated her enemies. It was this mistake that took her life, not old age. I will not be the one who repeats this mistake."

Billy returned through his favorite passage – the chimney. This was why the tailors made his clothes a bit less elaborate than the rest of the court.

"Here's your book, Mandy! I left a surprise between page 50 and 52."

Mandy opened the book to find a sweetmeat bar stuck between a picture of The Boogeyman and a recipe for creamed corn. She groaned; leave it to Billy to defile a priceless artifact.

Now, Mandy's Book of Hours was a curious item. Historically a Book of Hours was and is a Christian prayer book used by nuns, monks and those who could afford one. Because of their illuminated manuscripts and intricate illustrations they were very expensive. The official religion of regions nearby was Catholicism and because of this "Book of Hours" was a great soubriquet. This edition contained information about various evil creatures, demons and historical human villains. In times of war, like Mandy now feared was about to knock at the door, formulas for curses, potions and spells would appear on the random empty pages, complete with pictures and all.

"Now, dis is interesting," said a voice. Granny Grim was standing next to Mandy. "Do yer mind?"

She held the book with awe. "Now, I haven't seen dis'un since mah school girl days, back in de Ice Age dat was."

Mandy was busy taking down ingredient bottles from the shelves. "What is it?"

"De Darkness." Granny Grim looked very somber when she said this and it was easy to see where Grim had inherited his authoritative charisma.

"De Darkness is very black magic and is affili-a-ted with de darkest of demans. One who controls De Darkness can suck the soual right ote of de victims' bodies and contain dem. It counts as murder, and is forbidden by the Underworld Court except for in especial cases."

Mandy turned around with a look of evil in her eyes. "Dear minions," she said coldly. "Let there be Darkness."

Granny Grim did not look too shocked; actually this was a chance to finally prove that she was a better potion maker than Aunt Kali. She brought out a large iron cauldron from the fireplace and placed the book on an apothecary table. "Two ounces of fairy blood, ten eyes from caged birds, five beheaded nerglings," she chanted. Billy brought the items blissfully down from the shelves and poured them into the cauldron. A smoke rose from its bottom and took form as pentagrams.

"Four Sassycat's paws, a gallon juice of nightshade, a pint of abscess from a dead man's boils," she continued. Grim and Mandy stirred the cauldron with long stone bars. Black smoke rose from the brew in shape of humans writhing in agony.

"And now, to give life to dis horrer, the Darkness' curse!"

Granny Grim added some cerulean liquid over the frothing mass and chanted a curse on a strange language. Her voice was booming and the contents of the cauldron rose and finally, took shape as a vast demon made of black smoke. In its vines Mandy could discern human arms, faces and legs; she realized it was a demon consisting of many smaller demons and ghosts. Its ectoplasmic eyes fixated on Billy and reached its gruesome tendrils at him. Granny Grim intervened in time and opened a bottle the shape of Mandy's head, and in a few seconds the entire thing was contained inside. Billy just smiled like a moron.

Mandy was staggered at the awful thing she had created and wondered if there were similar things in Mindy's arsenal.

The Book of Hours would never have suggested this abomination unless there was.