The night I was born it was a full moon. My mother told me it glowed almost as bright as the sun that night. All the stars around it seemed dim in comparison. Unfortunately to the people in my village this was a bad omen not a good one as my mother and grandparents' kept saying. Under the full moon when babies are born it is said the moon witch comes and selects a baby giving them a kiss and cursing them to spend their days as a witch and doing her bidding. The tale says she was a beautiful woman who was betrayed by mankind, so she cursed the man who betrayed her but in return she was banished to live alone on the moon. However a full moon is sad to open a passageway so she comes to earth cursing a new child.

Eighteen years ago was the last time she supposedly cursed a baby. That baby was me. My mother named me Aylin, meaning halo of the moon. She says I was blessed, my hair is almost snow white, eyes close to silver, my skin pale and sensitive to the sunlight. To others I am a witch, I am the outcast of the village. My family is an old respected family so as long as I did not cause trouble I was allowed to stay and mostly I was left alone or ignored. I would never tell my mother or family that I was terrified of going out into the village at night, though my looks are unique. My mother always tells me how beautiful I am. The drunk men wandering the village at night seemed to agree with that as well, though they tell me it is because I am an enchantress making them feel attracted to me to fill my needs. Of course at night is the only time I can help my family get supplies for what we need for our shop. My grandfather works for the king as a kind of advisor, and my grandmother, mother and I are seamstresses making clothes for the village, a trade all the women in my family learn. They will never know how the men use me whenever they catch me at night, not wanting to stir up trouble.

"Aylin, can you go to the market for me? I have to finish this gown before the morning and I ran out of the ribbon I needed." My mother asked not even looking up the blue dress she was sewing. Sighing I stood pulling on my black cloak over my light blue and silver dress. I didn't like to stand out, but my mother insisted I wear nice dresses with pretty colors that matched my eyes.

"How will you find a husband if no one can see your beautiful face?" My grandfather asked as I walked past him to the door \.

"Men won't marry a monster grandfather, I don't think I have to worry about showing my face." I said almost coldly as I walked out the door slamming it slightly behind me. Immediately I felt bad for how I spoke and almost turned around only to feel too embarrassed. Though I was afraid of the night I always enjoyed the fresh air on my walks to the market. Walking through the streets I was barefoot in order to walk quietly and not draw attention to myself. As I passed the village pub I shivered when I heard the loud voices of the men inside. On my way back I knew the men would be wandering the streets drunk. Finally making it all the way across town I noticed a set of carriages that were riding through the streets. I spotted the royal crest on one of the carriages.

"Must be here on business." I mumbled as I walked into the small shop that sold the ribbon we needed. I picked out a few extra things that we seemed to go through quickly over the weeks to keep me from having to make another trip too soon through the village.

"Is this all Aylin?" the small older woman Catherine asked as she handed me my basket of things. Unlike most villagers Catherine was nice to me, she told me one day that she was too old to worry about witches and old tales. Besides my grandparents Catherine was surely the oldest woman in the village, her dark hair was streaked with gray always in a long braid down her back. Her husband and my father died in a war not too long after I was born. They never had any children of their own, to me she always seemed like another grandmother.

"Yes please, could you put it on the family tab." I said softly with a small smile on my face, "I do have some money as well to give you." reaching in the pocket of my cloak I handed her two small silver coins.

"Thank you dear." she smiled, her hands shaking as she put the coins in a small velvet pouch. "Be safe going home, I heard there is a birthday party at the pub so it will be crowded."

I swallowed my throat feeling tight as I nodded. No matter which way I wanted to go home my path always crossed the pub or the alleys that the men would hang out in. As I walked out of the store I pulled my cloak tighter around me trying to hide myself under it. The pub was quiet as I got close, and when I passed it quickly I was glad I didn't see any groups of people. As soon as I thought I was in the clear I picked up my speed only to run into something sending me and my items crashing to the ground, my hood falling off my head as I fell.

"Look who it is, little miss halo of the moon." a gruff voice said, causing other voices to laugh around him "I told you that was her walking didn't I, men?" he chuckled, gripping my arm pulling me to my feet.

"P-please you're hurting me." I whispered though I knew fighting would be futile. I knew his grip was leaving more bruises on my upper arm as another man came and grabbed the other arm helping him drag me into a side alley. Two other men stood watch as the two holding me ripped my cloak from my body sending it into the dirt.

"This is what you want is it not? You do this." the one who picked me up said his hot breath grazing across my face making my stomach turn with the smell of ale on his breath. As he spoke he moved his hands down to the top of my dress giving a big pull. I felt the fabric dig into my back as it ripped away from my chest. After he ripped the under dress I had underneath exposing my chest to him. Both men grabbed one of my breasts, squeezing hard causing me to scream out in pain and for help. I knew it would never come, that my screaming was futile, even when he muffled them with his own mouth as he pulled up my skirts. I felt his fingers enter me first and that's when I started to sob. No matter how many times these men found me and used me the pain was always the same. When the first man was done with me he moved out of the way and his friends started his own assault. Through all of it I still screamed my voice getting hoarse hoping anyone would hear me. Soon my voice was being drowned out but the now freshly falling rain as well as the man's grunts. My back was raw from rubbing on the wall behind me as he thrust inside of me. They held my arms tightly so I couldn't move or hit them laughing as I struggled still to get away from them.

"Wait what are you-" I heard a shout from the front of the alley and then a thud Looking to the side a silent scream left me when I saw that the two that were keeping watch at the front of the alley were now laying in pools of their own blood a man standing there his sword drawn as he walked closer to us. Before I could blink his sword was going through the first man's throat his blood splattering on my face, and then the second man who dropped me causing me to fall next to the now dead man, he couldn't even take two steps before the other man's sword was cutting his head clean off as if a knife going through butter.

I watched shaking as the man's black boots made their way through the mud over to me. They squished in the mud his sword glinting under the moonlight, as blood dripped down the blade into the mud leaving a crimson trail. I looked down at my hand clenching in the mud waiting for the man to grab me like the others. Silently I prayed he would just end it so I would no longer had to endure the pain of being used this way.

"Please." I sobbed out my body shaking as I curled tighter into myself "don't hurt me." my voice was so soft I wasn't sure if he could even hear me. When I felt something draping over my shoulders I jumped when his hands brushed my shoulders causing me to scream again trying to move away from his hands going into the blood of the men next to me.

"I won't hurt you." His voice was deep but soft as I looked up shocked to see he was holding his hands in a surrender position. By the way he was dressed I could see he was very wealthy. His dark almost black hair was neat and clean even in the rain, on his hand were leather gloves. A light blue shirt with a leather vest over top, not common for poor people. As I met his eyes my body almost immediately relaxed when I saw the deep blue eyes, they looked soft, and seemed sad, no hatred in them. I flinched again when he reached out one of his gloved hands.

Clearing his throat he moved closer in a crouched position "I just want to cover you." he whispered his eyes glance down quickly before coming back to meet mine. I felt my body heat up as I was sure a blush was spreading across my face and chest as I crossed my mud, and blood stained arms across my bare chest. Moving very slowly he pulled a thick cloak over me fastening the front of it to cover my torn dress, he then used his gloved hand wiping what I assumed was blood off of my face before he pulled the hood up over my head. Taking my hand gently he helped me stand letting me lean on him as my legs shook underneath me.

"Can I take you home? Do you need medical attention I can't take you to the physician.`` His voice was smooth and warm like honey.

Shaking my head quickly I looked around at the bodies on the ground. Two of them were beheaded, the other two were still staring at me with their dead eyes.

"Don't look." he said gently, taking my chin and turning my head to look up at him; "Let me take you home at least."

"I-I need to get my things, I dropped them." I stuttered back looking around again trying to find the basket I had dropped as well as my own cloak.

"I have them, they are with my carriage." he said, tucking me under his arm and walking me out of the alley not giving me a chance to find the cloak I knew was there.

"Take us to Sir Elric's house." His voice was demanding and I was surprised to hear my grandfather's name when he spoke to the man standing in the carriage. By the way he was dressed I could see he was a knight with his armor, a cape being held on by a royal crest pin, the kind I had seen my grandfather wear.

"Sir, your father would not approve of bringing." he glanced at me with a deep frown; "Her."

"My father is not here. Take me where I said."

With a single nod of his head the man opened the carriage doors where I saw the basket of things I had bought from Catherine. Quickly I looked through it to see it was all there although it was damp and slightly dirty. As the carriage jolted I was very aware of the man sitting across from me staring intently at me as if they would burn a hole right through me.

"How did you know where I lived?" I whispered my voice hoarse from screaming.

"Your grandfather speaks very highly of his beautiful granddaughter with white hair."

"So, you know what they call me then?"

"No one deserves that, does not matter what they call you."

We sat silent, the sound of the carriage wheels sloshing in the mud, and the horses hooves seemed deafening.

"Please don't tell them what happened. They don't need to be bothered by this." I finally whispered as we pulled up to the home my family lived in. It was a modest two story cottage. Enough room for all of us to live comfortably, with a shop next door for the clothes we sell. At night it was easy for me to sneak back in and mend any ripped clothing or throw anything away that needed to before they noticed. Any bruising was easy to hide, the men made sure never to mark where it would be visible.

"This wasn't the first time then?" the man frowned

"I am cursed to be beautiful and yet alone, these men know this and who would ever believe a witch over them?"

With a nod of acknowledgement he opened the carriage door stepping out with ease and then turning holding his hand out to me to help me down. Stepping out I stumbled into him. I jerked back suddenly and whimpered when the man who was driving pulled my arm, I saw the hate in his eyes as he looked at me and I shivered.

"Release her. Or you will look like the men in the Alleyway."

The mystery man growled out just as I heard the front door of my home open. The driver released my arm allowing me to be sure the cloak was covering my ripped dress.