There was no outside entrance to the Throne Room, and he had no time to waste. Instead he went for one of the decorative windows close to the hall.

He tucked his wings in and dove towards the window, the raven screeching overhead. Viseron braced himself and felt glass break beneath his shoulder. He fanned his wings, slowing his dissent, glittering shards falling around him like a shattered rainbow.

There were no guards in the hallway, and as he looked towards the door to the Throne Room he saw blood soaking into the carpet, the bodies of the guards laying on the floor, throats slit.

The Shadowalker had killed them.

The aura of Dark Magic grew stronger and stronger as he reached the doors, like a bitter smell.

The heavy wooden doors burst open as Viseron forced them to. He didn't stop, his eyes trained on the Shadowalker. His sudden presence was greeted by a gasp from the assembled Lords and Ladies, the space around him growing larger as they backed away.

The terror that already tainted the room grew like an awful stench, almost tangible.

He drew his sword, stalking to where the Shadowalker stood by Islande, Shadow Magic bleeding from his form, reacting to his anger.

"Let her go." He growled, coming to stand by the dais.

The Shadowalker smiled, moving away from Islande, coming towards Viseron. His bitter eyes glittered with menacing delight as he approached him.

"Shadowhunter," he said, acknowledging Viseron.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here."

Viseron locked eyes with his enemy. He felt the same magic he felt before, magic similar to his stir within the Shadow Mage, calling to him like it had when they had met before, whispering to him of power and revenge.

"Why do you care enough to come here? Why do you care for the people who exiled you?" Asked the Shadowhunter, turning away from Viseron.

Whispers spread through the hushed silence as people began to realize who he was, who he had been. Another person they thought was dead. The person who was exiled for defeating the man who stood before them.

"Why do you protect them?"

He was close enough that Viseron felt his breath brush his face. He could see the scars crisscrossing his face, the hatred he held in his heart.

"Why do you protect her, when she was the one who hurt you the most?" He said so only he could hear.

He found himself without an answer. He didn't know why he protected a Kingdom that had moved on, that had its own version of his story.

"Why do you insist on protecting people who have done nothing for you, allowed you to become a monster, to become a memory, to be forgotten?"

"I wanted to be forgotten," Viseron hissed, stepping closer to him, "I wanted them to forget what I did, to forget who I am. I wanted to be only a memory. I wanted to be only a myth." He said, pain creeping into his voice.

His voice echoed off the silent walls, calling back to him. He felt the eyes of everyone in the room upon him.

"I wanted them to think I was the monster they say I am."

Because that was easier than living with the thought that I had disappointed the one I loved. He finished in his head.

For a moment the Shadowalker didn't answer, choosing only to hold his gaze. Viseron held that calculating stare, searching for any hint of emotion in the Shadowalker's eyes.

"You have become the thing you fear, embraced what you tried to destroy. You hide in the shadows, you shy from the light. You are the monster you try to kill."

His eyes flicked to the raven as it flew overhead, perching high on one of the rafters, shrieking its displeasure.

"You and I are much alike."

"I am nothing like you," Growled Viseron.

The Shadowalker laughed a low, mocking laugh.

"You and I are more alike then you realize, Viseron." He said so everyone could hear.

He couldn't help but shiver as his name was spoken by his enemy, hearing the hatred he felt towards him, all of the rage and bitterness contained in his name.

"You used to be a hero," he hissed, "you used to be someone they looked up to, trusted in." He said, gesturing to the frightened crowd before him. "Now look at you. You're feared instead of praised, hunted instead of welcomed."

He smiled wickedly as uncertainty surfaced in Viseron's eyes.

"You don't know who you are, you haven't since you were exiled. Even now you don't truly know on which side you stand."

He stepped back, regarding Viseron with glittering eyes.

"I will leave you to answer that question on your own."

Viseron tightened his grip on his sword but the Shadowalker was gone without a trace. The flames in the braziers ignited once again, bathing the room in light, but despite the warmth of the flames Viseron felt cold.

All eyes turned to him, watching, waiting, seeing, judging. The Shadowalker's words nagged at his mind, asking him for an answer.

He knew he was trying to get inside his head, and it was working. He had brought to light something Viseron had pushed down deep inside him.

Who am I?  Where do I stand in this war?

He turned towards the door, his cloak whispering against the marble. He wanted to get out of the castle as soon as possible. He didn't want them staring any longer, he wanted to fade into legend again, wanted to retreat to the forest that had become his home, the cold that wrapped him in its familiar embrace. He had to get out of here, had to escape the eyes burning holes unto his back, had to-

"Wait!" Called a familiar voice.

He paid no attention, spreading his wings as he neared the door, ready to leave, to escape the judgements whispering in his head.

"Viseron!"

He stopped in his tracks, standing with his back to her, frozen, wings spread. It had been so long since he had heard his name fall from her lips, so long since he had even laid eyes upon his love.

It was different from the way the Shadowalker had uttered it, this was asking him to stay, asking him to look her in the eyes, asking him to show her that somewhere under the ice that frosted his heart the man she had known was still there.

Viseron didn't know if that was true.

He turned so one half of his face was visible, the other bathed in shadow, seeing her standing there, where her eyes asked him to stay.

Viseron remembered their talk in the Drenzian, when she had said he was a monster, when her words had cut deep.

"Tell me something Islande," he said, his voice splitting the silence. "Would a monster choose to save the one who hurt it?"

When she didn't answer he walked away from her. He walked away from the where Islande looked after him, where her gaze begged him to stay but her silence told him to leave.

He spread his black wings, flying through the shattered window, the raven following behind him. He needed to find where the Shadowalker was and what he planned to do, but most importantly he needed to figure out who's side he was on, who he could trust and who he couldn't.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yet again another late update, I'm not entirely sure what the schedule for this will look like yet so bare with me. It will most likely level out once Bounty is finished since that's the main project. Anyway hope you enjoyed getting to know the villain a little more!

~~Nightfury107