Hi everyone!
So I wrote a story about the Queen of Swords. For all your Tessa/ Grisham lovers, I am sorry but I really like Tessa and Dr Helm so that's what it'll be in this story, among other things... Hope you like it, please let me know.
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Santa Helena, The street
'Is someone special coming?' Tessa asked as she turned away from the cantina Marta and she just had taken there early lunch from. She saw many people gathering at the mercado.
'I just heard that the niece from the Montero familia is arriving.' Marta answered.
Tessa let her eyes go over the Montero's who were standing a bit further, awaiting the coach arrival. When the coach stopped, a few men in uniforms dismounted. Tessa raised an eyebrow.
Marta looked at Tessa.
'Maybe they were afraid that she would get attacked?' Marta offered also surprised by the protection this person seemed to have.
Who could this woman be that was protected by three men?
Then the woman in fact showed herself. She stood still, hovering above the coach steps, looking around. The young woman scanned her surroundings with the famous look of disappointment on her face. One of the uniformed men helped her out of the couch and with a lot of grace she went to stand on the ground, looking around, taking in her surroundings further.
Tessa's eyes studied the visitor. Her hair was dark and longue, it fell in full and curly tresses over her shoulders, she had big dark eyes and a very white skin. She was tall, probably as tall as Tessa, and her form was slender and frele. You could see womanly curves mostly on her hips. The woman had a strong jawline with a long graceful neck under it, graced with a large diamant necklace. Tessa found herself staring at the dress of the woman, that was in one word beautiful.
'Very expensive.' Marta said. Her eyes were on the new visitor's dress too.
You could probably feed a poor family for a year with the money that dress had cost, Marta thought.
Tessa narrowed her eyes as she saw the somewhat angry look on the nieces face when Don and Dona Montero neared her to greet her.
'She doesn't seem very happy to be here.' Tessa whispered.
Marta nodded, her eyes were glued to the young woman's face.
'Maybe she will come to the fiesta this evening.' Tessa said.
Marta nodded as she smiled. 'I am sure she will.' She found herself being curious after the mysterious visitor.
The Fiesta, Hidalgo hacienda
Tessa went to sit at the table and spotted Vera at the other side of the room.The Hidalgo's were giving a big fiesta, something Tessa quite enjoyed. Not always though, she tought when she saw colonel Montoya entering the hacienda together with capitan Grisham. She just wanted to look away, not wanting to make eye-contact when Dr Helm entered the terrace behind the colonel. She tried to hide the smile that wanted to form on her lips.
Marta noticed the look on Tessa's face and the sparkle's forming in her eyes. Love was an amazing thing, Marta thought. What it could do to you, and with you. She smiled slightly.
She felt deeply for Tessa when she saw the dissapointment colouring her features. Dr Helm left for the other side of the terrace. Marta sighed inwardly. He didn't like senorita Alvarado. But he did seem to like the Queen. Tessa had to play her spoiled role, to hide her secret identity. But for that, she couldn't show Helm her real self. And he wasn't interested at all, in the fake senorita Alvarado, the spoiled, dumn brat. Marta found this difficult to see. The doctor was a very strong, interesting and smart man. They could be a good match together.
Marta's thoughts were disturbed when she saw the Montero's niece entering the terrace now. The woman was wearing yet another very expensive-looking dress. This one was bordeaux-red. Her hair fell over her shoulders, the dress fell beautiful around her slender, long body. And of course Colonel Montoya was the first one introducing himself.
'At least now they have someone else to focus themselves on.' Marta whispered in Tessa's ear.
Tessa looked at the don's sons who were now aiming their attention at the other senorita. She smiled slightly. Everyone knew that Tessa wasn't married yet. A lot of men were interested, not only in her beauty but also in her money and hacienda. It would probably be the same for this woman, only she seemed to be even richer then Tessa. The Montero's were a very powerfull family. They had the rest of their family in Spain, The Alcantarases, they were on of the most powerful families in Spain and California. Tessa didn't understand what the young niece was doing her. She would be used to so much luxury, being here, in this small pueblo would surely dissapoint her very much.
Senorita Alcantaras smiled at Colonel Montoya.
'Can I have this dance senorita?' He asked gently, bowing for her. She nodded.
He took her hand and she noticed that she felt impressed by this man. It was kind of a relief to be in the arms of a man, dancing, so she could be away from all the other people she still didn't know and would be introduced too.
'So what does the senorita think of our humble pueblo if I may ask?' Colonel Montoya asked.
Senorita Alcantaras smiled at him. 'It is very humble colonel. Very. But there are nice people.' She smiled at him charmingly. 'Such as yourself.'
'I haven't met everyone yet. Ofcourse I only arrived this morning. But tell me colonel, this afternoon my uncle told me such a fascinating story. About a woman bandita, troubling this pueblo.'
'Ah yes.' Montoya sighed. 'That would be the Queen of Swords. She will be captured very soon by me. You can count on that.'
Senorita Alcantaras nodded.
'Ofcourse, I do not doubt you colonel. Not at all. I don't know you, but I already trust your judgement. Do you have no idea who this masked woman is then colonel?'
'Not as of yet. The Queen of Swords, she is a plague. She robs and steals. I can go on and on about the bad things she does.'
Senorita Alcantaras nodded. 'It is awful that people like that exist.' She said as she sighed dramatically.
'It is very interesting I find, that she is a woman, don't you?'
Montoya nodded.'She is as vicious and mean as a man would be. But indeed..'
'I wonder how a woman can become such a criminal. I hope I will not meet her.'
'Well, Montoya has already gotten his claws on her.' Tessa whispered.
Marta looked at the dancing couple on the floor who seemed to be chatting animatedly and nodded.
'He can be a real charmer.' Marta answered.
'Yes sometimes you have to look very deep to see his evil character.'
'Well, I will go and get further acquainted.' Tessa said, standing from her chair, smiling at Marta.
Marta's eyes followed Tessa's form as she moved herself through the crowded dance floor. She had become a young woman. Marta laughed at the thought of Tessa when she was a child. She still was a pain in the back in some ways. She might have grown into a beautiful woman now, but the dangers she sought out gave Martha a heartattack almost everytime.
Marta watched as a young man asked senorita Alcantaras to dance. She shook her head at him and he quickly retreated. Marta saw dona Montero walking towards her at that.
'Yvette what did you do?' Dona Montero asked as she stood behind her tall niece.
Her niece turned around to face her aunt.
'What do you mean?' Yvette asked innocently. Her face seemed flat with no expression in it.
'We really have to talk about this.' Dona Montero said stern.
'Talk about what aunt?' Yvette inquired innocently.
'You know what I mean. Don't make a scene.'
Yvette wanted to yell angrily in her face at that, and the way her aunt treated her, as if she was some sort of chicken that needed a hen. Unfortunately there were too many people around to express her opinion.
Yvette looked away and when she turned to face Dona Montero her eyes were almost burning with fire and an immense anger pointed at the Dona.
Marta was almost asthonished to see so much expression in someones face, let alone eyes. She had not overheard the possible argument that was going on between the two but could see a lot of things in the way they were acting towards each other. Marta saw Tessa stepping in, just when the argument was still heated. Not a very good time Tessa! Marta thought. She should really learn Tessa something about timing. But then again, as the Queen, Tessa's timing had been life-saving.
'Senorita Alvarado, surely you agree that a senorita of our class has to learn how to become a real lady?' Dona Montero said as she turned towards Tessa.
Tessa looked at the Dona and suddenly got the feeling that she just stepped into something tense and looked from Dona Alcantaras back to Dona Montero.
She nodded after a short pause.
'Yes, of course.' Tessa said looking surprised at senorita Alcantaras. She could feel the dark angry eyes moving over her body from her toes till her hair. She began to feel quite uncomfortable at that gesture. It gave her a 'who-are-you-to-say-this'-feeling.
'And how old might you be if I may ask?' The Dona said in a demanding tone.
Tessa almost had the reaction to put a step behind her but didn't listen to it and straightened her back. Nice to meet you too, Tessa thought, they hadn't been introduced properly yet. This didn't seem to be the right time.
'Yvette!' Dona Montero said sternly. The young dona turned towards her smaller aunt now.
'Dear Aunt, if someone wants to give me advice, I would like them to know something about it and be smart. Otherwise I do not take any advice.'
'Age doesn't matter.' Tessa said in her innocent senorita Alvarado voice.
Two black piercing eyes were pointed at her now.
'It matters if you count life experience with it, and somehow I have the feeling that you have none, so please stay to your own bussiness and don't interfere with mine!' Yvette said through clenched teeth. She turned around, lifting her skirt a bit and walked off.
The two woman looked at the retreating form.
'I am so sorry senorita Alvarado. I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive her, she has had such a long journey here. She has never been so far from home. 'Dona Montero said.
Tessa waved with her fanner.
'Don't worry Dona Montero. I can see that she isn't feeling well.'
'O senorita Alvarado, I do care about her. But she just...doesn't have any manners. When you first see her, you can't see that, she can put up quite an act, but when you see through that...she's almost like some sort of barbarian.' At that Tessa looked surprised. She remembered the times she was called a barbarian by her nephews. Many times. And even sometimes by Marta.
'I so hoped you two could get along. Maybe she could learn from you, so many things. You yourself are a real lady.'
'Why thank you very much dona.' Tessa said, a blush spreading over her cheeks.
'She will apologize to you senorita, I will not allow such behaviour.' Dona Montero said. Tessa nodded. She would like to see that, she thought while Dona Montero left for another corner of the room.
'Well?' Martha inquired curiously, standing beside her suddenly.
'I just saw another sight of the very wealthy new senorita.'
Marta looked surprised at that.
'Dona Montero is trying hard to give manners to senorita Alcantaras. It isn't really working. The woman just told me who I am to tell her something, she was really angry. Really angry Marta. I have the feeling that something more is bothering her. She seemed very wild.' Tessa said.
'And also, she called her a barbarian and me a real lady, what do you think of this changement?' Tessa said proudly, giving Marta a teasing and smug smile, her chin up a bit.
'I think that she doesn't know you very well.' Marta answered sternly, hiding her smile. She then looked away, around her, to avoid a comment from Tessa.
Alvarado Hacienda, the cellar
The Queen walked in her secret hiding place and saw Marta sitting there, mending one of her clothes.
'Marta, why are you still awake?'
'I was waiting for you.' Marta answered as she looked at the cut blouse she was holding in her hands.
'I had this strange feeling this evening.' Tessa said as she took off her mask.
'What feeling?' Marta asked as she looked up from her knitting.
Tessa looked in the distance with narrowed eyes. 'It was…. It was as if someone was following me.'
Marta shot up instantly and looked worried at Tessa. 'Someone was following you?' Marta asked as she got up and walked towards Tessa.
Tessa bit her lip in thought. 'It felt like it, but when I turned around I saw no one… I even waited a few minutes and hit behind a rock… But still…' She had to trust her feeling and when she felt that something was off… Maybe she should take that serious.
Tessa sighed deep. 'Maybe I imagined it.'
Marta looked at her with worry in her eyes. 'Let's hope so.' She uttered.
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Hope you liked it! Please let me know: review, review:) :)