Chained Together
A/N: My usual disclaimers: all copyrights go to those who rightfully own them.
So IcyWaters told me about this challenge and I've decided to join in on the fun. This will be three chapters long and I hope this story isn't too similar to anyone else's. Also, I need something cheerful while working on the doom and gloom of At The Hour of Death.
Like always, Esperanza is in this (to be honest, I'm not sure I can ever write a Zorro story without her in it, probably the result of coming up with so many adventures with her in them since I was a kid). But, don't worry, she plays a pretty minor role in this. And we're going to see what her relationship with Ricardo is like.
Before I start, I'm obliged to give a shoutout to my bf who (inadvertently) gave me the idea for this story. So thank you, honey, for the story of your college pals, a pair of handcuffs and a full bottle of Captain Morgan's.
With that all said, enjoy and destroy!
Alien Feelings
"Esperanza, are you ready to go?" Diego asked as he paced outside her door. He wanted to get to the plaza before it got too crowded. In addition to being Diego's birthday, today was Santiago Apóstol, the feast day of Spain's patron saint. Everyone in the capital was expected to show up at the grand fiesta in the plaza.
Even Anna Maria…no doubt she'd be the most beautiful woman there.
Today would be a very good birthday. Diego thought, imagining the dances he would have with Anna Maria.
Esperanza's bedroom door opened. "I was just pinching my cheeks, Diego." She said, walking out and brushing down her skirt. "You look very handsome." Esperanza said, straightening his dark brown neckerchief. "Feliz cumpleaños, mi amigo."
"Gracias, Esperanza. You look beautiful yourself." Diego said as he looked over Esperanza. Her thick, black hair was braided into a bun resting on the back of her head. A tortoiseshell peineta was pressed into that, holding up her white lace mantilla. Freckled cheeks and shiny green eyes complimented her pale skin and buttery yellow dress. A beaded loop was around her wrist, connected to her lace fan.
"Did I take too long?" Esperanza asked, looking a little concerned. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to look nice."
"You have every right to look nice tonight. After all, Santiago Apóstol only comes once a year." Ricardo said as he reached the landing, his hand behind his back. He was wearing a nice blue suit with a black banda.
His brown eyes shone when he saw her. A winning grin crossed his face as he removed his hat, took her hand and gave a sweeping bow. "You look lovely as always, Esperanza." Ricardo said as his lips grazed her knuckles.
Esperanza giggled, a bright smile crossing her face. "Ever the charmer, aren't you?" She asked.
That was what she said to Diego when he returned to Spain almost two years ago.
A strange feeling pricked Diego. His fists tightened. Ever since Ricardo had arrived in Monterey a week or so ago, he and Esperanza had been spending a lot of time whispering and chatting with each other.
Diego didn't think much of it. After all, she and Ricardo hadn't seen each other since they were children and he was busy working as Zorro.
"A beautiful señorita like you deserves to be charmed." Ricardo said. "I've brought a gift. Although I should warn you. They're mere weeds compared to your beauty." Ricardo said, dramatically moving his hand from behind his back. The hallway filled with the sweet scent of the large white blooms. Esperanza's favorite.
"They're beautiful, Ricardo." Esperanza said, taking them. She smiled brightly at him.
"Are you sure there are no snakes or spiders in there?" Diego asked. "You surely remember the last time he gave you flowers, Esperanza."
"We were children then, Diego." Esperanza said, a little wounded.
"Do you really think I would give her a bouquet laced with snakes?" Ricardo said, astonished. "I wasn't in the mood to get punched today like last time."
"Give me two seconds, I'm going to put these in my room." Esperanza said, turning to her room, keeping the door open. She put them in a glass and poured some water from the pitcher to water the flowers.
"Hold on, my dear Esperanza." Ricardo said, walking into the bedroom. "You're missing something."
"And what's that?" Esperanza asked.
"This." Ricardo said, picking one of the flowers out and tucking it behind her ear. "Now you're truly ready."
"If you insist, Ricardo." Esperanza said, taking another flower out of the bouquet. "Then we should be a matching pair." She threaded the flower into a buttonhole of Ricardo's jacket.
"I will treasure it always." Ricardo said.
They smiled at each other. Esperanza straightened out Ricardo's black neckerchief while he smoothed out her hair.
Diego's eyes furrowed at the sight of them. Esperanza only straightened out his and Father's neckerchiefs while only Diego smoothed out her hair. Why was she allowing him to do that?
Esperanza and Ricardo turned to face him. "Now Diego, I'm sure Anna Maria will have a rose for you." She said, giving Diego an innocent smile. "You did ask her to have a couple of dances with you."
It was true, Anna Maria did promise him a couple of dances at the fiesta. But she sounded disinterested, her brown eyes distant. He loved seeing her smile, her eyes would light up. It seemed that it only happened with Zorro though…
Diego caught Esperanza looking at him. She almost appeared…guilty. Before Diego could ask her, the look on her face changed and she looked back up at Ricardo, smiling.
A hand clapped on Diego's shoulder. It was Bernardo. He pretended to draw an arrow back to fire. "Yes, it seems love has struck Esperanza and Ricardo." Diego said in a low voice. For some reason, he sounded a little mean-spirited when he said that.
Bernardo shook his head, formed a jealous face and pointed at Diego. "Are you saying I'm jealous of my two friends?" He said, a little too defensively. Bernardo's eyebrow arched, his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed as if to say 'are you sure?'
Was he? Diego wondered. No. He had Anna Maria to woo away from Ricardo.
In time, she'd see the man he really was. El Zorro was a part of him.
Besides, Esperanza was one of his closest friends. They shared everything together. Surely she would've said something if she had feelings for him…
"Yes, I'm sure, Bernardo." Diego said, feeling his temper sparking. "She's not my wife or even my fiancée, so she can do as she pleases. If she and Ricardo want to be together, then they have my blessings. All I want is to see Esperanza happy."
But the thought of Esperanza being courted by somebody else irked him. He could only hope that it wouldn't put a damper on the rest of the fiesta.
The fiesta was a lively one, Diego thought as he danced with Anna Maria. Lighted candles and torches burned fro, every corner of the large square. Couples dressed in their best whirled around while the band played in the corner. The sun had gone down, making the July heat more bearable. Diego could hear the clicking of the ladies' heels and various people chatting. The spicy scents of Teresa's tamales, pumpkin empanadas, and carne con chiles filled the air along with the scent of rosewater perfume.
Anna Maria was certainly beautiful tonight. Diego thought. She was wearing a dramatic blue gown trimmed with black lace. Her tortoiseshell peineta comb stood at least a half-foot over her head, draped with an elegant black mantilla made of lace. A blooming red rose was tucked above either ear.
The song ended, everyone applauded as custom. "Thank you for the dance, Anna Maria." Diego said, bowing and kissing her hand.
"Of course, Diego. It is your birthday, after all." Anna Maria said with a polite smile before looking away. A sad smile crossed her face and Diego can see longing in her doe-like brown eyes.
"You're thinking about Zorro again?" Diego asked, feeling hurt. Once again, the Fox had to get in the way. Except this time, it wasn't the way it usually happened.
"It's hard not to." Anna Maria said as they stepped off the dance floor. "I even brought a rose to give him…but it's understandable why he isn't here."
Oh, she had no idea who she was talking to. Part of him wanted to tell her the truth right then and there…but the fewer people who knew, the safer everyone would be. So far, the only three other than Diego who knew were Bernardo, Esperanza and Monastario.
And he wanted to keep it that way.
Not even his own father could know. He would put up with his father's disappointment forever if it meant he was safe from any and all enemies.
"I beg your pardon, Diego?" Anna Maria asked. "I promised someone else a dance."
"Of course." Diego said. "Have a good time." He was still too wrapped up in his own thoughts to care if Anna Maria danced with anyone else.
Ricardo and Esperanza were still on the dance floor, close to each other. He could hear Esperanza giggling. Ricardo's arm was around her shoulder as he gave her a gentle peck on the cheek. The band started a new song. Ricardo began dancing with Esperanza. They've shared every single dance since they arrived about an hour or so ago. Everyone else watched them with familiar secret smiles and whispers.
"Remember when we used to dance like that?" Diego heard a nearby elderly woman whisper to her husband.
Her husband chuckled. "Guarantee it, those two will be married by the end of the year."
The feelings were back. It was bad enough that he was competing with both El Zorro and Ricardo for Anna Maria…but the fact that Ricardo had set his sights on Esperanza ate at him.
Shouldn't he be glad that Esperanza was being courted? With her role as curandera and as Zorro's helper, she barely had time for herself, let alone a relationship. Her eighteenth birthday was rapidly approaching and she was close to being a spinster.
Diego knew that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be a wife and mother. That was something Diego understood. He himself wanted to have a family someday.
Also, Ricardo and Esperanza courting was less competition for Anna Maria's affections. Too bad it wasn't working as Anna Maria only took notice of his masked alter ego
Still, the thought of Esperanza marrying another man made Diego feel…uncomfortable. Besides, if she married Ricardo, they would leave for his home in Yerba Buena.
The thought of never seeing Esperanza again was an unhappy one. Was he being possessive? No. Diego reminded himself. If he was truly possessive, he would've marched over and taken Esperanza away.
Was Bernardo right? Was he jealous?
"Don Diego!" Garcia said from off to the side. "¡Feliz cumpleaños!"
Forcing a smile on his face, Diego turned to his friend, who had his hands full with some tamales from Teresa's stall. "Gracias, mi amigo. How are the tamales?"
"At the rate he's wolfing them down, it'll be a miracle if there is any masa and filling left in all of California!" Teresa said with a laugh.
"Of course, they are very delicious!" Garcia said, trying to pay her a compliment. Teresa smiled and rolled her eyes.
"So what have you been up to, lately?" Diego said. It had been a while since he had seen the portly sergeant and Corporal Reyes.
"We've been on patrol. Apparently, some people have gone missing." Garcia said.
That caught Diego's attention. "Really?" He asked.
"Si, so far, three men have vanished."
Looks like the fox would be doing some riding tonight. "Is it anyone we know?" He asked.
"No. All three men were very well built and have no connection to anybody in or around Monterey." Garcia said.
Diego was about to ask more questions when Reyes called out. "Sargento! A little help here, please?"
"If you'll excuse me, Don Diego?" Garcia asked, looking somewhat guilty.
"Go ahead." Diego said. Garcia left.
But before he could follow Garcia, Father walked up to him. "Mijo, are you having a good time?" He asked Diego.
Great…Diego thought, suppressing a groan. "Of course, Father, why would I not be?" Diego asked. Bernardo caught his eye with a nod before walking after Garcia.
Good. Diego said to himself, relieved. The faithful mozo would be listening in on Garcia in case he says more about the disappearances and wouldn't hesitate to fetch Diego if need be.
"Don't try hiding it, Diego. I can see that you're upset." Father said, his dark eyes firm.
Diego swallowed, unsure of what to say. That's when he noticed Esperanza was watching him. There was that guilty look again. When she noticed he was watching her, the look vanished and she looked up at Ricardo again with a smile. This time though, the joyful look on her face seemed forced, her eyes not as bright.
Was Ricardo hurting her? No. Diego thought. Despite being an incurable practical jokester, Ricardo was still an honorable gentleman. He'd never hurt anyone…on purpose that was.
"It's about Esperanza, isn't it?" Father asked in a gentle voice. "You're jealous that she's paying attention to Ricardo and not you?"
For some reason, he wasn't as rattled by Father's suggestion. When Bernardo suggested it, he was shocked. Maybe he really was jealous…
But if he had feelings for Esperanza and got jealous, then why wasn't it that way with Anna Maria? He didn't seem to care what she was doing.
Then maybe his love for her was purer than for Esperanza.
Anna Maria was suddenly elevated in his eyes.
"Maybe you should speak to Esperanza about your feelings." Father said in a low voice.
"Esperanza is one of my dearest friends." Diego said a little too firmly. Being accused of jealousy was one thing. But what Father was suggesting was something else entirely. He loved Anna Maria and no one else. "It's just something I'm not used to seeing, that's all."
Father only shook his head, unconvinced. "Everyone else but you can see it. Believe me, mijo, if you don't talk to Esperanza about how you feel, you'll be filled with regret."
"Speaking from experience?" Diego asked, a little sharply.
Father sadly looked at his hand, showing the gold ring still on his finger. He and Mother had been married for nearly twelve years before she died. It had been another thirteen years and Diego knew he still missed her. "Trust me on this, my son."
The song stopped. Everyone applauded as custom. Ricardo whispered something to Esperanza. Her eyebrows arched in surprise and she whispered something back. Ricardo gave Diego a quick glance out of the corner of his eye before whispering something else to Esperanza.
They were talking about him. Maybe he should walk up and ask if everything's all right. No. Diego reminded himself. The de la Vega temper was beginning to brew. He was afraid that it would do more thinking than his head.
Right now, he needed to remain calm in case the missing men Garcia mentioned were in danger.
Esperanza nodded. Ricardo walked to the band and had a few words with the leader. A grin crossed the leader's face and he prepared for a new dance.
Ricardo walked up to Esperanza, putting his right hand on her waist and raising his left arm up in the air in an arc. Esperanza did likewise. The band started up a new song.
To Diego's surprise, it was a pasodoble. All attention turned to Ricardo and Esperanza.
Their heels clicked as Ricardo spun her around. He guided her through the intricate dance. Esperanza's neatly braided hair began flying out of its bun and her mantilla seemed in danger of falling off. Ricardo's forehead gleamed.
The guitarists were playing so fast that their fingers blurred. Diego could hear the violin singing. The audience clapped in time with the song.
Like other pasodobles, the song ended suddenly at its climax. Ricardo pulled Esperanza close to him, running his fingers through her loose hair. Their lips were almost touching and they looked at each other.
Everyone broke into raucous applause.
All but Diego. His passion was really burning now.
Get away. He had to get somewhere to cool down before he did something he'd wind up regretting.
The fox always acted rationally.
He stormed off. "Diego!" Esperanza shouted. But he was too angry to heed her cries.
Diego ended up in an alleyway a few blocks away from the plaza.
God…his heart raced at the memory of Esperanza and Ricardo dancing.
Such passion.
Such fire.
Diego kicked a stone in the alleyway. CHINK! It hit the wall.
The feelings had turned into a burning fire.
How could they do that?! He wondered as he paced.
He wanted to go back and tell Ricardo to stay away from Esperanza…
Hold on…what was he doing?! Diego thought. He was acting like a rooster trying to protect the henhouse.
Esperanza had every right to dance with whomever she wanted. And for that matter, didn't he spend most of the night with Anna Maria? Or rather, a good part of his time since they arrived in Monterey?
Father and Bernardo were right. He was jealous.
Maybe his feelings for Esperanza were indeed deeper than he wanted to admit.
Not as deep as for Anna Maria, of course. He rarely got jealous when it came to her. A sign of true love. As Paul the Apostle once preached; love never got jealous.
Shame replaced Diego's feelings of jealousy.
Maybe Father was right.
Maybe he should talk to Esperanza.
Diego's foot brushed against something. Looking down, he saw a lone dueling pistol. What was this doing here? Diego thought as he picked it up.
WHACK! Something smacked into the back of his head. Diego fell to the ground with a cry of pain.
"Help me with him." A gruff voice said from above Diego.
Diego's vision blurred as hands grabbed him.
A/N: Uh oh…here we go! Next chapter will be up in five minutes.