The wedding-day approached with rapid strides. Victoria´s eldest brother, captain Francisco Escalante, arrived by ship from Colombia, with alarming tales about the instable situation in the southern colonies. Victoria was thrilled to see him again after some five years, though Francisco appeared to be far from thrilled about her present situation. He even talked about challenging his childhood companion Don Diego to a duel for dishonouring his sister.

"You don´t!" Victoria told him indignantly. "Diego is no match for you. And besides, what gives you the right to just come here after all these years and start playing big brother the moment you set foot in Los Angeles again? Don´t you worry about me, I can take care of myself. I can very well do without this misplaced fraternal protection, thank you very much!"

"Of course. That´s why you got yourself in the family way," Francisco muttered.

Victoria put her hands on her hips, and her eyes flashed fire as she retorted: "Yes, that´s why I got myself in the family way. Because I love Diego and he loves me. So I don´t need your interference there, for I am perfectly happy about marrying him!"

Francisco retreated. There was nothing he could do about the matter anyway. And Victoria would have very little use of a dead groom. So he hurried to reassure his fuming sister that she certainly had made a very desirable match.

"Well, keep that in mind then!" she huffed as she turned on her heel.

xxxxx

It was early August, the night before the wedding. Don Alejandro wandered through the hacienda in search of his son. He found him pondering in the library.

"All ready for tomorrow, son?"

The sudden sound of his father´s voice startled Diego from his reverie. "What did you say, father?"

Don Alejandro smiled. "I asked if you were ready for the big day tomorrow."

Diego nodded. "I think so."

His father sank down on one of the other chairs. His thoughts were miles, or rather years away. "I still remember the day I married your mother. As if it were yesterday. I´d wish she could be here now, with her son getting married..."

His voice trailed off, but then he turned to look at Diego again. "Your mother and I were very happy together, Diego. I sincerely hope for you and Victoria to find that same happiness in your married life. And," he added with a sad smile, "that it may last quite a bit longer."

Diego smiled timidly. "Thank you, father. I hope so, too," he simply said.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Don Alejandro inquired: "Have you managed to make a decision about Zorro?" The matter had not been discussed again after that night. But Don Alejandro could not help but have noticed that Zorro´s appearances in town had been less frequent these past weeks.

Diego shook his head. "Personally, I think Zorro should retire," he told his father. "Believe it or not, father, but Zorro is scared to go out nowadays. Scared to put his life at risk: to get a bullet through his heart, or the cold steel of a sword. I have to call upon all my self-control now in order not to start back when a rifle is pointed at me. Or when some bandit draws his knife. As soon as the malevolent will take notice of my being frightened to encounter them, discovering that the invincible Zorro is human... Even the lancers are likely to lose all the fearful respect they have for him as soon as they find out. With all the fatal consequences for me. Lately, I feel so utterly relieved every time I make it back to the cave unharmed... It is strange, for even though I have been injured quite a few times before, it never robbed me of that feeling of... well, being invincible. Immortal even. And now... But how can I stand aside and let Zorro retire with the alcalde still terrorizing the people?"

Don Alejandro just nodded. He didn´t have a ready-made solution to Zorro´s problem either.

xxxxx

The church was absotely packed. All of Los Angeles had gathered to witness what was pronounced to be the wedding of the year. Two public figures, the taverness Victoria Escalante and Don Diego de la Vega, the unassuming editor of The Guardian and only son and heir to one of the most respected and influential families in the territory were to be joined in matrimony today. The fact that the wedding had had a piquant prelude seemed to have raised rather than diminished the people´s interest. That the shy and calm Don Diego could be in love with the fiery taverness was interesting enough in itself, although stranger alliances had been established in the past. But that this quiet, unassuming young Don had actually raped the señorita and got her in the family way, now that was something to talk about! And of course, people were eager to find out if señorita Escalante´s declarations about Zorro having set her free to be able to get on with her life were really true. Or would Zorro show up at her wedding again, just as he did the moment she jilted Juan Ortiz right here at the altar?

Diego sat in the first pew, with his father and Felipe at either side. They were all dressed in black caballero costumes; Diego because he had to according to the church-law for having put his wife-to-be in the family way before they were married, and Felipe and Don Alejandro because they didn´t want to contrast too much with the actual celebrator of the day.

It was the first time Felipe showed his face in town dressed according to his new station in life, and he could not escape to notice the sudden glances of admiration from the female side of the congregation. He felt great in these new clothes. Grand. But even though the material was so much softer than what he was used to, he felt a little uncomfortable in them as well. Having worn a simple shirt, trousers and sandals all his life, he felt a little overdressed in his white ruffled shirt and the embroidered caballero-jacket. And restricted in his movements. He fidgeted a little at his neck-tie. It looked good, he had seen in the mirror. But he found it rather warm to have his clothes reaching all the way up to his neck. Perhaps dressing for comfort wasn´t so bad after all?

Diego looked pale. He was still worried about possible reprisals from the alcalde. What if De Soto had just pretended to believe the rumours about Diego having raped Victoria? What if he´d march in here as soon as they´d exchanged vows and have them both hanged? He was sure he couldn´t possibly watch Victoria being hanged; it would be a punishment far more devastating to see her being hanged than being hanged himself. Or what if someone were to notice some similarity between Zorro and him, now that Diego was obliged to dress in black? What if...?

He clutched his sweaty hands. Perhaps they should have run off to the United States anyway, and got married there instead... Perhaps...

A sudden hush fell over the overcrowded room. Even in the aisles people were standing side by side; only the center aisle was left open for captain Escalante to lead his sister to the altar.

The organ started playing, and Don Alejandro nudged his son to get up and meet his bride. And there she was... All in black, but so beaming with happiness and felicity that the bright colours of her brother´s military uniform seemed to fade away in comparison. Every eye in the room was upon the beautiful bride, slowly walking down the aisle. But the bride herself had eyes for one man only: a man rooted to the spot at the sight of his chosen companion for life.

Francisco handed Victoria´s hand to him, but he needed another prod from his father to remember that he was supposed to take her hand and turn towards the padre. And so, in the presence of practically the entire pueblo de Los Angeles, Diego and Victoria joined hands.

Padre Benitez felt obliged to add a few warning lines about the sin the new couple had committed, but the larger part of his sermon consisted of a panegyric on the true love between man and wife. He knew how much these two loved one another, and he had no doubt whatsoever as to their marital felicity. Both Diego and Victoria were confident in plighting their troth to each other; there was not even the slightest hint of hesitation in their voices. It caused many a lady in the room to take out a handkerchief, and even Don Alejandro had to blink furiously. And so it was with a joyful heart that padre Benitez gave the young couple God´s holy blessing.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," he ended affectionately as Diego had helped Victoria up from the kneeling pad. "And you may kiss the bride."

But all Diego did was taking Victoria´s other hand in his as well and gaze at her. Victoria. His Victoria now... His wife! He felt like jubilating... and crying at the same time, of utter relief. After all those years of hardship, of frustration, of despair...

Victoria beamed back at him, in expectation of his kiss. She felt happier than she ever had been.

An expectant silence filled the room as everyone breathlessly awaited the magical moment of every wedding-ceremony. But the two in front of the altar were so engrossed in just looking at each other that they seemed to have totally forgotten where they were. But in the end, Victoria raised her eyebrows at him, and it was she who broke the silence. "If you don´t, I will," she told Diego as she put her arms around his neck. And once he was drawn into her tender kiss, he felt he would never want to let her go again. He was home. He had finally come home.

Behind them, padre Benitez watched them with a knowing smile. He knew them both so well; he knew they would do anything to make the other happy. He knew their tempers would give rise to lots of fiery fights. But he also knew of the many storms their love had endured and survived already, before this day. He knew for sure now what he had vaguely suspected for years: thanks to Diego´s confession a few weeks ago, he knew how long he and Victoria had loved each other, with no chance of confirming their love in marriage. They may have made a horrible mistake in getting Victoria in the family way prematurely, but as Victoria had said: it seemed to be the only way out of the trap their love had placed them in. Not that it altered anything about the facts, but their sin was understandable. And at least this time God had united two people who seemed destined for each other, and loved one another with all their heart. When compared to that other shotgun-wedding the week before, with Pablo Gonzalez and young Maria de la Cruz... They had hardly been willing to hold each other´s hand! He sighed, and wondered - not for the first time - if God really meant that two people who didn´t even like each other should be forced to join in matrimony, no matter what they had done. Well, at least he didn´t have to worry about that in the case of Don Diego and Victoria...

Don Alejandro was the first one to embrace his son and daughter-in-law when they finally let go of each other. Francisco and Felipe followed suit, and as Diego let go of the latter, he raised his voice to be heard over the happy half-whispers of the crowd. "Señoras y señores, if I may have your attention for a moment?"

Everybody hushed and looked at the newly wed caballero. One arm he held around his bride, the other lay around Felipe´s shoulders.

"Now that practically the whole town is gathered here," Diego continued, "I would like you all to know that I... that my wife and I have recently adopted Felipe as our first born son. You may also be happy to know that he has regained his hearing a while back. So there is no reason why you should not take the trouble to get to know our son, Don Felipe de la Vega. You will soon find that it takes but a little patience and good will to understand his way of communicating with us."

People started cheering, and someone cried: "Long live Don Felipe!" Which made Felipe grin awkwardly. And when finally the whole crowd bustled outside in the sunlight of the plaza, Felipe got about as many congratulations as the newly weds.