A/N: This is a One-Shot story. I hope you will enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated to the Zorro franchise, however the story is mine.
Summery: The presence of a beautiful single woman flirting with Diego causes Victoria to encourage her and Diego to drink a little too much before a masquerade wedding.
Mrs De La Vega
Everybody spoke about it. Every single habitant of el pueblo de Los Angeles conversed about the masquerade wedding. It had been a popular topic in Victoria's tavern as well, and truthfully she had a little hope Zorro might show up.
Victoria was distracted in her dreaming of Zorro by the precise same reason she had gotten disturb many times that week. She was leaning on the counter and awaited the last quests to leave in time for her to get ready for the evening. Pilar had told her to go upstairs and get changed already, but Victoria found it hard to tear her eyes from a particular table.
There was a young woman. Apparently single. She had arrived a week ago with her father. They had families in the pueblo and visited from Cádiz. Nobility and if she had eavesdropped correctly, they were blood related to Spain's royalty. They shared table with Don Alejandro, and - of course - Diego.
Gabriella de Castile.
Ugh. What a name.
Victoria examined how Diego closely checked out the woman.
"When will the woman leave already?" she muttered when Pilar passed her.
Her coworker put down empty glasses from the tray. "Why so disturbed?"
Victoria stopped leaning and straightened her back. She shot Pilar a warning glare. "That Gabriella de Casa is just... spending time here without buying anything."
Pilar picked up new glasses and poured wine in them. She chuckled. "Her name is Gabriella de Castile, and you are aware of that," she informed Victoria. "And in fact, she buys water." Pilar still wore the smile as she left. But Victoria had to force her smile to appear.
A man approached the counter and nodded towards his table. "A bottle of wine in five glasses, Señorita."
Victoria's forced smile grew a little as she nodded. "I will come right away," she promised. The man gave her a polite nod before he returned to his company.
Victoria snatched a bottle of red wine from below the counter and put it together with five glasses on a tray. She moved towards the table but her focus was still on Diego's table. She could see how Diego's mouth moved. And then the woman laughed. It was if Victoria saw in slow motion how he looked intently at Gabriella while she laughed.
Suddenly a bang caused her to jump. The bottle of wine was split into millions of pieces on the floor and the glasses had joined it. She could feel everybody's eyes on her. She smiled nervously and bent down quickly to gather it back on the tray. She raised her hand to the man who had ordered from her in an apology.
"My apologies, Señor. I will go for a new one."
She wanted to kick herself for the awkwardness she caused. Pilar had been quick and was already down on the floor with a cloth to dry the red wine. Victoria gave her a thankful look.
She walked back to the counter and grabbed a new bottle of wine and new glasses, which she brought to the table.
"I am sorry," she excused herself again.
The man chuckled. "No worries, Señorita. Who could blame a bachelorette keeping her attention elsewhere."
Victoria's eyes widened. She was certainly NOT having her attention anywhere but on making good profit for the tavern and only that. She snorted by the comment and left, a bit offended by it actually.
When she approached the counter, she could see in the corner of her eyes how that Gabriella also walked towards it. For a brief second, she debated if it was worth it to turn around and pretend mingling with another table. But she had no time as Gabriella then saw her.
The black-haired woman with clear blue eyes was standing by the counter in her immensely expensive dress. Victoria could tell. It was in whipped cream and her diamond necklace revealed the wealth the family had. With her wavy hair she smiled broadly as the beauty she was.
Victoria could not prevent the rolling eyes as Gabriella looked over her shoulder to lock eyes with Diego.
She dried her hands on a cloth.
"What will it be, Gabrielle?" she wondered and forced her voice to sound polite, just like the forced smile she wore.
Gabriella spun back around and smiled. "Gabriell-a," she corrected. "I would like a glass of water. And... perhaps a glass of champagne to the handsome man at the table," referring to Diego.
Victoria grabbed two glasses. "He prefers lemonade."
Gabriella blinked upon hearing a tavern proprietress utter such objection towards her. She decided to ignore it but eyed Victoria.
"Not if it's coming from me," Gabriella retorted with a smile and winked to Victoria. "Isn't he just wonderful? I am surprised no other woman has married him already."
Whilst Victoria moved among the glasses she glanced every now and then to see Gabriella longingly look over her shoulder towards Diego.
"So I will," she then said.
Victoria stood straight as if somebody had hit her back. What in the world?! She put the glasses down onto the counter with a loud thud.
"I will come over with the glasses," Victoria assured between gritted teeth. Gabriella kept smiling, oblivious to Victoria's attitude. She strolled back to her table and graciously sat down in her chair, regaining the attention of the gentlemen at her table.
Victoria poured a glass of champagne and a glass of water. As Pilar disappeared around the corner, she smoothly brought up a bottle of tequila. She poured the strong liquid into the glass of champagne but froze by the vision of Gabriella laughing and Diego joined her. The woman had put her hand on Diego's arm as they laughed. That she had the nerve..?!
"What are you doing?"
Victoria snapped out of it and followed Pilar's eyes down onto the counter. She was pouring tequila beside the glass by now. She swallowed and looked guiltily to Pilar, who threw her a quick knowing eye before going behind the curtains.
"Vicky!"
Victoria looked up with a glare. Gabriella waved towards her as if she was a dog. She gestured towards her father's empty glass.
When she turned her attention back to the company, Victoria's glare grew redder.
"Vicky," she mimicked in a high-pitched voice to herself, clearly annoyed.
Pilar could not hold her laughter and shook her head as she passed Victoria with a tray of glasses on her way back to the tables.
With a content smile, Victoria put the glass of champagne and tequila on the tray, followed by a glass of water. She emptied half of the bottle of champagne in the sink and filled the rest with tequila. Let's see if Diego really enjoyed the champagne as Gabriella thought.
That bottle was also put onto the tray. She graciously put three fingers below as she carried it pizza-style towards the De La Vega table.
"Victoria," Diego greeted her approach.
She could not help herself but to reflect the grin. "Diego." She put down the glass of water to the Madame and a glass of rum to the elder De Castile.
"And champagne to you," Victoria placed the bottle and the already filled glass in front of him.
Diego's eyebrows lifted as he glanced to Gabriella.
"I wanted to surprise you," she smiled widely.
Victoria examined the reaction from the corner of her eyes as she gathered the empty glasses.
"Thank you Gabriella. It would have been alright with just lemonade as well though," he said sincerely.
Victoria squealed inside and began heading back to the counter. She looked over her shoulder and surprisingly met Diego's eyes. Was he checking her out? And why did she care?
She heard a gasp just as she crashed right into Pilar and the tray the woman had been holding.
Victoria looked down onto her dress to see the can off lemonade empty on the floor. The citrus water was all over her attire.
"I am so sorry," Victoria apologized.
"No, it was my fault," Pilar insisted.
The two women bent down to the ground to pick up the chaos they created.
Victoria took a deep breath as the two stood up again. "Perhaps I should go upstairs and get changed."
Pilar nodded in agreement. "I can handle the guests."
Whilst Victoria had spent the majority of the afternoon upstairs in her bedroom, Don Diego De La Vega had headed home to the hacienda. He and his father had waved off Gabriella and Don De Castile. As they had ridden home, Don Alejandro had commented on Victoria's different behavior. She had acted clumsily, like she never did. She used to move among the tables like a smooth cat, Diego could tell. He checked her out a little too often perhaps, as he could picture the soft movements.
It was something that had happened this week. By the company of Gabriella, he had caught Victoria checking them out very often. At first he had believed it was Gabriella she examined. But almost every time Diego had caught Victoria in the corner of his eyes, it was him she had her eyes locked on.
Why?
Was she not in love with Zorro?
Did she finally see him as a man when another woman showed him interest?
Truth be spoken, he had laughed a little extra today at Gabriella's charming remarks, just to see if it caught Victoria's attention. But no... not could she really have an interest in him?
He gulped as he stood there. In front of the mirror to reflect himself. The suit he wore made him appear like the most attractive caballero there was. If nobody knew his clumsiness that is to say.
But something with Victoria's angry glares being shot, was hot. They were so hot. Her dark brown eyes squinting whenever Gabriella uttered a word... actually made Diego's stomach flip.
"Oh, Diego. You are already done," Don Alejandro stated when he passed Diego's room.
Diego walked out of it. "Yes, father. I thought of going to the tavern beforehand," he tried his hardest to not slur on the words. Apparently he had been drinking a bit too much champagne. It seemed as if the more time passed, the more affected he got by it.
"The tavern?" Don Alejandro shouted from another lounge room. "Now?"
Diego walked over to the room. "Yes, I promised Victoria to escort her to the church and then the reception."
Don Alejandro chuckled. "It is only a bare meter to the church from the tavern," he was shaking his head. "Do what you want, but do not be late for the wedding."
Diego nodded. "Of course."
He went down the hallway and went outside to his horse. He put his mask over the face. It was quite some idea. Having a masquerade wedding. It was a first. The ideas the people of the days had.
It did not take long until he reached the pueblo. The well known sign of Victoria's tavern was visible. He tied his horse just outside the door and went inside even though the closed sign hung in the door.
It was empty. Pilar came through the curtains.
"We are close.., oh! Diego!" she smiled and hurried to the staircase. "VICTORIA! Diego is here!"
"In a minute!" Victoria's muffled voice was heard.
Pilar whirled around and checked out Diego as she went around him. He had to spin around to join her fast maneuver. She went into the kitchen but was equally fast to retreat with something in her hands.
She placed a bottle of red wine and tequila on a table with two glasses. "It is after all a wedding tonight," she explained by Diego's quirking eyebrow.
She giggled and hurried to the doors. "We'll see each other at the church."
"Yes, Pilar," Diego gave her a polite smile.
She curtsied as he bowed when she departed.
He heard the steps coming from the stair when Victoria walked downstairs.
She was wearing red, short sleeve and a golden necklace around her neck. Her eyes were more black-framed than they used to be. Her hair appeared fluffier and... he found it hard to tear his eyes from the cleavage which seemed to reach further down than he had ever seen before. He drew in his breath as their eyes locked. She looked hot.
"Victoria," he let out and hoped it did not sound as desperate as it did in his head.
She smiled and walked over to him. She put her mask down onto the table. "Diego."
His breath hitched when she walked past him so closely the skin of her bare arm brushed against him.
"What is this?" she viewed the alcohol on the table.
Diego let out a nervous laughter. "It was Pilar."
When Victoria looked up from the table to meet his eyes, Diego believed for a moment he would lean over the whole table to devour her lips.
She gave him a smile, almost playful if he dared believed so. She plopped down in front of him. When he made no intent on moving, she lifted the bottle of wine. "It is a wedding tonight. Something to celebrate, don't you agree?"
As if he would be able to deny her anything. He immediately sat down in the chair ahead of her. She poured him a glass and handed him it. He was surprised to how fast she drank hers.
When she put the glass down, she smiled in her affected state. She poured a new glass to the top.
"I see you getting friendly with Gabriella."
Diego sank his glass but could feel how his head began spinning. "She is lovely," he spoke.
It was something with the way Victoria was looking at him. She had never really heard him as a man speaking such.
She said nothing but drank more of the wine. She nodded towards the bottle of tequila.
"Tequila?"
Diego leaned comfortably backwards into the backrest of the chair. In a way, Victoria had never seen him be that confident. The way he kept staring into her eyes and that wry grin he had. In normal cases, she would either be uncomfortable under that stare. But now, she felt hot and even giggled by the alcohol. She was wasted. They drank the strong liquid and even poured a few more glasses of tequila down their throats.
"Shall we go?" Diego stood up and rounded the table to help Victoria up. He almost knocked a chair over in his intoxicated state. She laughed but lost balance as well when standing up. Fortunately he caught her by grabbing her upper arm. Even if everything was spinning and she could feel how he with ease swung her around. She could feel how strong he was.
He held her against the pillar and handed her the mask she was supposed to wear for the masquerade wedding. "Here you go."
She kept staring into his eyes.
"Don't fall," he went on.
His hands were on her hips and she could feel her heart racing. What was she doing? She was in love with Zorro?! But what was Diego doing?
She put the mask on and wrapped her hand around his arm as he guided her out of the tavern.
It was pitch dark outside. The sun had gone down a long time ago, but some lit candles were burning around the church. Guests were arriving from every corner of the pueblo.
Suddenly Diego stopped and breathed dramatically.
Victoria wobbled a few steps on her own before she stopped tracks. "Diego? Are you coming?"
He held onto a pillar to steady his balance. "You go, Victoria. I need some fresh air first."
She chuckled and nodded. "I will see you inside."
He nodded bothersome. He just had to breath the fresh nightly air or he would make a fool out of himself. But fortunately, he was wearing a mask. Hopefully that would help.
He began walking but paused when seeing a group of guests. He made a detour and decided to sneak in through the back door. At least that way he would not have to present himself nor expose his identity behind the mask. Oh, that was something he was used to.
Carefully he opened the back door and smoothly slid inside. The door did not even make a noise. At least not in his head.
When he walked through the hallway, he managed wobbling into the wall. He held out his hand to regain the balance. Tequila, red wine and champagne, all within a few hours was obviously not the greatest idea that had crossed his mind. He had not been that drunk since Madrid.
"There he is!"
Diego let the figure approach him. The group of men examined him.
"Just ha-ad, to get... sum fresh a. Could no cowd mong the guest...s," Diego apologized, finding it more and more difficult to speak.
"And you are drunk Mister!" a jolly man clapped his back and laughed. "Come on."
They guided a confused Diego throughout the church. Oh, they were going to guide him to the seats? Wonderful!
Victoria had almost approached guests that were entering the church. She was a few steps behind but Pilar noticed her over her shoulder. When she stumbled over a tiny rock and almost fell, Pilar turned around to catch up on her. She put her arm around Victoria's waist to assist her inside.
"Victoria!" she exclaimed. She could not believe her friend's scandalous behavior. A drunken lady was not popular and it would for certain put fire to all the gossip. "You are drunk!" she hissed.
Victoria giggled in response, only revealing even more of her drunken state. "Oh, I am not!"
When they walked inside, Pilar immediately shoved Victoria into a room. She closed the door behind her and watched how her friend with the widest smile fell down onto a couch.
"You need to sleep this off," Pilar frowned and walked over to a table. There was a written paper laying on the top. "To the one finding this," she read the title out loud. Her frown grew and then she gasped. "No..!"
Victoria mumbled from the couch-position. "What is it?"
Pilar snatched the paper and began reading. "We have decided to elope. Will be back in a year... /Elena and Ricardo."
"Oh, no wedd... ing," Victoria managed saying. Pilar glanced over the paper to Victoria who apparently barely could speak by now.
Again she browsed the letter. Not could they possibly have left such a wedding to it's own destiny? She noted the white wedding gown on a hanger further in the dark room.
"Look at this," she exclaimed and grabbed the gown from the hanger. "If I someday may wear one of these beautiful gowns, my life is fulfilled."
Victoria snorted. "So is mine." She stood up unsteadily and wandered over to Pilar. She ran her hand through the fabric. "It is so beautiful," she spoke slurry.
"Indeed," Pilar agreed.
The door swung open. A woman stood in the doorway. "Pilar, I need your help!"
"What for?"
"I have lost my bracelet somewhere among the guests. Could you please come and help me find it?"
Pilar turned to Victoria only to face how the lady adored the dress.
"I will return here. Do not go anywhere," she said and pronounced the last word with an emphasis.
Victoria nodded.
"Good," Pilar said and disappeared with the woman.
Victoria took the dress from the hanger and placed it against her in front of the mirror. She reflected herself. Would she ever use one of those dresses? As in getting married and not just almost married? She was not getting any younger, that was for sure.
She whirled around to make sure nobody was watching. And she almost tripped over in the motion.
She took off her own dress and grabbed a hold of the white gown. No... not could she do that? But it was only for a second. Only to try the dress. The bride had run away, had she not?
She slipped into the gown and jumped a little to tighten it in the back. It did fit. Not perfectly, but it did fit.
The vision of her in the mirror was blur, but indeed she could see the figure of herself dressed in white.
The door flung open.
"Pilar..," her sentence died as she turned around and instead faced a man.
"You must come Madame!" he urged her to join him.
"Why?" Victoria inquired as she wobbled over to the man. The bride and groom had run away? "It is... not like I wo miss the wedng," she stated, not hearing the same sentence in her head as the man heard vocally. He eyed the bride incredulously. He could smell by the breath that she clearly had been drinking.
"Madre de Díos," he prayed and looked up to the ceiling. He placed her in the middle as they approached the aisle.
"You shall follow this aisle down towards the Padre," he nodded towards the Padre who stood at the altar.
Victoria frowned, still not understanding why she would do that. Did she have some kind of front seat she was not aware of?
All eyes were on her as the man gave her a polite shove to start walking. Some musicians began playing music, but Victoria only heard it subdued. She could barely see anything. Not only because of the mask covering a great part of her vision, but because of the blur in her eyes escalating.
She stopped at the altar and looked around. Why was everybody watching her? Everybody was whispering in the room, and Victoria kept smiling. She was so drunk.
Even the man beside her did not understand what in the world he was doing or where he were by then.
The Padre cleared his throat to make all of the guests sit down. They did but kept whispering.
"Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to witness the union of this groom and bride in holy matrimony. In this estate these two persons come now to be joined. If any once can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace," the Padre took a pause to scan the room for any objections. Nobody made a move nor uttered a word.
He turned to the groom, that seemed to fight to keep the balance in place.
Diego thought he would fall asleep standing up.
"Do you, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Diego glanced to the group of men that had found him in the hallway. One of them mouthed 'Yes' while another one jumped in excitement and gestured for him to agree. Another one tried to help him speak by nodding eagerly.
"Yes..," Diego let out, more questioning than stating.
The Padre looked at the woman who also fought to not collapse on the floor.
"Do you, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Pilar appeared in the doorway and drew in her breath. Oh dear God, she would never be forgiven.
Victoria smiled widely, for actual no reason. One of the bridesmaids formed 'I do' and hissed it when Victoria did not understand.
"I do?"
Everybody was cheering in the room. So she must have done something right?
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the Padre spoke louder to drown the cheers from the audience. "You may now kiss the bride," he spoke to Diego.
Diego did not understand a thing. He was supposed to kiss someone?
He looked at the lady with dark hair in a gown. She reminded him of Victoria. Just like that Gabriella lady had done.
He leaned down and captured her lips. They were familiar. Indeed familiar.
He could hear her soft moan against his before a group of manly guests hurried over to lift them up and throw them in the air.
The next morning there was sunlight that disturbed Victoria's sleep. Her eye popped open as she realized it must have been noon already. She had overslept.
She sat up so quickly she lost balance and ended up on the floor, completely missing the man she shared bed with.
In her rush she grabbed her clothes and threw the dress on. She groaned by the hangover that had struck her. On her way out of the room she grabbed her brush and combed her hair in the hallway. As she walked downstairs to the restaurant, she jumped into her shoes.
When Pilar saw Victoria she stopped tracks and her eyes widened. She stared at Victoria as if she had seen a ghost.
Victoria looked at Pilar confused. What was those looks supposed to mean?
"I think it was a little too much yesterday," Victoria spoke and walked over to the counter.
Pilar still stood frozen. "You don't say."
"I am sorry I overslept," Victoria threw over her shoulder.
Pilar had begun walking and shook her head. "Please don't kill me."
Victoria was even more confused. She shook her head as Pilar made her way to a table. What was the woman talking about?
The alcalde was sitting by the counter in front of Victoria.
"So what can I serve you today?" she wondered.
He too froze upon the sight of her and his eyes widened. Then he brought up his fist to put in front of his mouth, choking on the laughter that wanted to burst out.
"Why do all keep doing that?" Victoria put her hands on her hips.
Suddenly he could not hold it anymore but burst out laughing.
Victoria walked over to the mirror and saw the drawing in her forehead.
"DEIRRAM TSUJ," she read the capital letters. She tried to read them right from the opposite direction as the mirror reflected them in the other way.
"Just ma...rried," she gasped. She backed so harshly she hit her back into the counter.
The entertained alcalde found it hard to stop laughing. "Who is the groom?"
Victoria looked as if she was chased. Her eyes were scanning the room and her heart was racing. She grabbed a can of wine to drown her head, or just... drown herself completely for that matter.
Suddenly Diego wandered down from the staircase. He promenaded over to them.
"Rough night," he said.
She dropped the can and her eyes were about to pop. He had the very same text written on his forehead.
The alcalde smiled. "Indeed," he agreed and looked to Victoria. "Don't you agree, Mrs De La Vega?"
A/N: I have always shipped Victoria and Diego! Did you like it, hate it? I hope you enjoyed reading this!