Usual disclaimers apply. Zorro and the characters all belong to someone else. I don't make any money off this, just write because I love the characters. The story is mine. No copyright infringement intended.


December 1, 1821

Victoria sighed as she put away the last of tonight's clean dishes. The Saturday night crowd had kept her and her helpers busy. Tonight there were no overnight guests, so she had some time before bed to think.

Tomorrow was the first Sunday in Advent, and she decided to treat herself with a hot chocolate drink tonight. She made it and took the mug to the taproom where she sat at a table.

Sadly, she looked over at Diego's favorite table. She had missed him today. She had missed him too often lately.

It had been six months since the King's Emissary, Gilberto Risendo, had tried to kill Diego. Diego had been saved not by Zorro, but by of all people Ignacio de Soto. The former alcalde was now in Spain to account to King Ferdinand for killing Risendo. No one knew his fate. If he were lucky, he'd be banished to some remote post rather than be sent to prison or executed.

His crimes against the people of Los Angeles in his misguided attempts to capture Zorro were documented and included in the packet sent with him. Victoria made sure that it was clear that the people felt Zorro's "crimes" were only crimes in the eyes of the real criminals, de Soto and his predecessor, Luis Ramone.

She suspected that the de la Vegas had included a letter in the packet asking for compassion in the treatment of de Soto. He did save Diego, a known cousin of the king, when he killed the emissary. It was ironic that Emissary Risendo was also a cousin of the king. Although at the time no one knew that because it was not known he was Diego's twin brother. Their mother's crazed midwife had kidnapped Risendo at birth. Senora Risendo was also in Spain awaiting King Ferdinand's judgment.

The governor had allowed the people to elect a new alcalde, and they had chosen wisely in Don Alejandro. The pueblo thrived under his management. Taxes were lowered and the taxes collected were used for the public, not to line the pockets of the alcalde or further a scheme to catch Zorro. Even the so-called war tax that Risendo had collected was returned when it was discovered that it was an elaborate embezzlement scheme. In hindsight it was treason, and blame for it fell squarely on Senora Risendo.

Even the garrison and military were doing much better. Sergeant Mendoza had really stepped into the role of garrison commander, once it was separated from the position of alcalde. Don Alejandro supported and advised him, and Mendoza thrived on their new relationship. Victoria had always suspected that he saw his superiors as father figures, probably because he was orphaned at a young age. And both Ramone and de Soto unfortunately had constantly disappointed and demeaned him.

Not all was better, though. Before his death the emissary had rigged an explosion to kill Zorro. And apparently was successful since he had not been seen since.

Sadly the other casualty of that madness was Diego. Dr. Hernandez had explained to her that there was often an invisible bond between twins. Even though Diego grew up not knowing his brother, she suspected he was still in deep mourning for the loss of that bond. Unfortunately for him, no one else seemed to mourn the Emissary. She doubted he talked to anyone except maybe Felipe about he felt. Knowing Diego, he might not even confide in him.

If anyone had told her a year ago Diego would become a shell of the man he was, she would not have believed it. He seemed already a shell of a man, and she would not have been able to visualize how he could become more withdrawn.

Since then she had learned just how wrong that impression was, and how much he had done for the pueblo. He did it all quietly and efficiently, without grabbing attention or fame. Not just through his newspaper, but also by helping the people directly. He provided fertilizer for the farmers' crops and helped them choose what crops to plant, when and where. He taught the Indians to read and write, and would bring experiments to share his love of science with the mission's schoolchildren.

Or he did until the Emissary's death. Now he rarely came into the pueblo. Victoria worried he was losing weight, and he seemed a pale shadow of the man he once was. He had even requested someone else take over the paper by the New Year. As far as Victoria knew, no one had volunteered.

She wished he would confide in her. She would listen and sympathize. Even though to her chagrin, she knew she had not always supported him. That changed after Zorro had asked her to marry him. Since then she had tried to publicly and privately be the friend Diego always had been, and she hoped the one he needed.

Fondly she recalled that day in his cave when he asked her to marry the man in the mask. And she assured him she loved him. It was only after she returned to her tavern that she realized she had recognized some of the things in Zorro's cave. Things she had given to Diego, not Zorro.

And that's how she learned California's greatest secret. She wondered how she could now convince Diego that she needed and loved all of him, not just Zorro. It was a question she had pondered since that day.

Victoria decided that would change by Christmas. Christmas was always Diego's favorite day of the year, and of course Zorro's. This year it would be the day that Diego de la Vega would also be emancipated and set free from his self-imposed prison. She would start by getting Padre Benitez, Don Alejandro and Felipe to help. That would be her Christmas gift to Diego and it would be her sacred mission. And heaven help anyone who tried to stop her.

Because … only heaven could.