Now a much lighter chapter, hope you like this one.

~Z~

Chapter 10

Summer was obviously coming, whereas the days were getting longer and longer, but also a lot warmer.
Today wasn't an exception. People visited the taverna in the earlier hours for breakfast to get back home and do their jobs before it got too hot to work. Sometimes during siesta some citizens were hiding in the cool taverna, just not today.

Victoria was sitting on a bench with her feet in some cool water in her kitchen. Suddenly the backdoor opened and a heated Zorro stepped in.
"Maybe you should think about changing your attire into some cooler one." Victoria teased him playfully when she noticed him removing his gloves with some difficulty and moving his arm into his neck to remove some sweat.
Grinning he greeted her, "that is why I have come señorita."

"Perhaps you have chosen the wrong door, señor, I certainly am no seamstress." She teased again with some mischievous shine in her eyes.
"That was my luck," Zorro whispered in a fake disappointment, "care to join me on a search to some refreshment then?"
"Any time." Victoria immediately stepped out of the water into her slippers and took the inviting outstretched bare hand of her lover.

Riding double they left the pueblo to cross the forest. Victoria somewhere lost track when she didn't recognise the countryside anymore, though she figured they still must be somewhere on the De la Vega land. By the position of the sun and the time they have ridden she suspected that they were riding at the north side of the caballero's land. Suddenly Zorro slowed Toronado down and they moved over a very small path, which was hardly noticeable between the overgrown bushes.

Not much later she saw a very secluded area with a small pond and some rocks forming some kind of cave. Suddenly she felt as if she had stepped into some fairly tale. It was when she had dismounted, that she had noticed the blanket at Toronado's back. Zorro had taken care of some picnic.

When they have settled everything down, they sat on the blanket silently for some moments. Zorro had removed his gloves and cape before they sat down and now was opening his shirt a bit more.
Victoria felt flushed a bit by seeing the upper part of his chest.
Zorro broke the embarrassed silence, "if you care for a swim, don't let me hold you back."

Victoria faced the pond. It looked very tempting. Sitting in the shadows of the bushes and trees was very cool, but the cool water would surely make her feel better. But she couldn't just remove her clothes and jump into the water here with a man, could she?
Zorro noticed her indecision, but waited patiently for her action or even reaction.

After some moments of silence, he suggested, "you needn't jump into it bare naked, although you wouldn't hear me complain."
"Will you join me then?" she asked in return.
"Eh no, I won't undress." He reacted a bit embarrassed himself. He was afraid of having to unmask when he was about to swim, then step into it half naked.

Victoria started laughing uncontrollably, "and you expect me to do so, if you haven't the nerve yourself."
"Wait a minute," She suddenly got very serious, "are you ashamed of yourself? You haven't been with a woman before, have you?"
"Eh, well," Zorro stammered, "yes, I haven't really been with a woman, but no I am not ashamed of myself."

Victoria's eyebrow rose at the revelation.
"But," Zorro continued before she was able to say anything and his voice changed more softly, "it's the mask."
Victoria's lip twisted, "I thought as much." And she sighed deeply. Zorro too got lost in thoughts as he fumbled at the toes of his booths.

"What is it that you are really afraid of, Zorro?" Victoria asked and faced him to observe his reaction to her question.
Zorro's interest in his boot shifted to the pond and pondered over her question. He was never truly good at translating his feelings to words.
"Is it only about rejection?"
"I guess so," Zorro sighed.
"And?"

Neither of them had anticipated a romantic start of their date turning so quickly into a deep conversation.
"The most fearful thing is something happening to you or my family if the alcalde ever finds out about my true identity. I ... I know… eh … I guess some may think me being very arrogant the way I treat the alcalde and I admit I sometimes … mostly … enjoy humiliating him, but when I get back in the cave, you know, sometimes I feel I can't breathe after my return at the thought of the alcalde may having turned his anger on you or my family behind my back. It would be so easy for him to think "Good he is gone, let me hurt certain people even more." And act."

Zorro sighed again, "I am still glad he had never thought about doing so."
"Have you ever been accused of being arrogant before?" Victoria questioned having heard some interesting piece of information.
"Eh yes," he had a smirk on his face as he reminded some things he had gone involved in. "it was just a long time ago, when I was this reckless kid. But I feel it was needed, else I could never have done the things I have last few years."

A knowing smile crept over Victoria's features too. Facing the pond she continued her started interrogation, "it just doesn't explain why you are afraid of me. "
"Victoria," Zorro sighed as to get some encouragement, "you are so dear to me … I love you so much making you the only one able to really hurt me."
Victoria's grin suddenly melted into an astonished stare as she turned her face to inspect her lover's face more closely for confirmation of his words.
"Yes you have that power over me, querida." He confirmed.

"You love me?" Victoria asked incredulously.
"Yes I do, with my whole life," Zorro answered seriously, "why else had I asked you to marry me?"
"Yes true," Victoria stated, "but you … but you never said so."
Zorro gently took her by her neck and pulled her over to give her a confirming kiss, but it changed into a very heated on.

Victoria then broke the kiss. "Dios, Zorro, I love you too very much. I will respect your wish to remain masked, but please, promise me to find a way for us to be together, so, please, overcome your fear and come to me as the man."
Zorro heard her pleading tone and felt having failed. As a natural reaction he turned way from her.
"What is it?" Victoria demandingly asked.

Zorro just shook his head and tried to dissuade her of this subject. He had to try harder; he just had to.
"You have tried, haven't you?" Victoria filled in correctly. "I did send you away, didn't I?"
"Victoria I will find a way, I promise." Zorro then stood up and walked over to the pond.
He wanted to get away from the topic. It was too dangerous. She was getting this close to unmasking him. Oh yes she could rip off his mask any moment, but having his cover blown up by words he felt more vulnerable.

Shortly Victoria faced the ground, when it hit her she must have guessed correctly. All she had to do was find out whom she had hurt so much. Or maybe she had taken someone very much for granted. Now she also understood why he feared her so much, at the same time she felt something was still not right. Why would an arrogant man, as he called himself, be afraid of just a plain woman, like herself? She is an open book, easy to read and therefore very predictable.
Someone must have crushed his heart into a thousand pieces.

Quickly she stood up, hurried over to where her hero stood and wrapped her arms around his waist while she stood behind him.
"I am sorry, Zorro, I will keep my eyes open and I will find who you are."
"No need to Victoria," Zorro crossed her conversation as he laid both hands upon hers.
"Excuse me?" She suddenly stepped back in their conversation. "Zorro, you haven't really explained why you are so scared of me. I know you explained, but everything you have told me now doesn't make sense to your statement.

Some woman has truly hurt you, or will you contradict? And if so, I am not her."
Zorro turned around in her arms with a small smile on his face, "you truly are a smart woman. You are right and I should have more confidence in you. I am sorry for that."
Solemnly he looked in her eyes and pledged, "don't try to unmask me, I will come to you. We will be together soon. You have challenged my ego."

At that Victoria's heart melted at the prospect of getting her long wished family soon, but very quickly she looked mysteriously back at him, "Are you sure I have challenged your ego?"
Zorro faced her incomprehensible, but wasn't able to react in time.

Victoria threw her body against his, causing them both to fall into the pond.
"Victoria!" he only exclaimed.
Victoria laughed wholeheartedly. She really enjoyed this moment of noticing him having no control over the situation and playfully smashed some water into his face.
"Oh now you have asked for it!"

Like children they were splashing in the water, while both made sure the masked remained on.
When they got tired, they climbed back on the grass. Zorro elegantly offer her his hand to help her onto the dry again. There he passionately kissed her inflaming their true desires.
"We should get rid of these wet clothes," Zorro softly suggested and felt his feet were getting colder. "At least I am going to empty my boots."

Victoria had to laugh at Zorro's attempts to get out of them. His pants were very tight around his legs preventing him from moving as supple as a cat. When he was finally able to get his boot off at the last tug a splash of water wetted him and the last swig he poured out over the grass.
"There, that is much better," he said dramatically as he had removed his other boot by the same actions and Victoria burst out laughing.

Bewildered he faced her, "I guess you're not going to give me a nice show, are you?"
Victoria could only shake her head in denial.
"Well then," Zorro started saying with a boyish grin and removed his shirt revealing a very, very good-looking bare chest, "I will help you."

At that Victoria's eyes grew large in amazement and some kind of shock at his bold attitude. She was about to get up, but her skirt prevented her movements and so Zorro was faster.
"Oh no," Victoria laughed playfully.
"Oh yes," Zorro responded laughing too. Gently he forced her down so he could start helping her out of her clothes. In between he kissed her sweetly all over causing her to surrender. With difficulty they got rid of their wet clothes and was followed by some sweet passionate lovemaking.

It all felt like a nice dream, but when two men entered her bedroom, Victoria was brought back at the present again. And Victoria knew it wasn't a dream and what she was suffering now was no nightmare. It was nothing but reality, a very hard reality.

~Z~