Felipe opened the big envelope received from his grandfather to find three smaller ones inside. One was for him, one for Diego, and on the third one was simply written 'From Victoria'. He pondered what to do for a while, and then left the big envelope on his desk, taking with him only the small one addressed to his father.

"What is it, Felipe?" Diego asked as the younger man entered his room to find him reading, sitting on one of the blue velvet armchairs, in front of the fireplace. It was only September, but uncommonly cold that evening, so he had made a fire to warm up the room and was feeling melancholic at remembering similar evenings spent by the fire in the De la Vega Hacienda, also reading, in his father's company.

"A letter from Grandfather." The younger man stated, giving him the envelope and taking a seat in the armchair next to his father's.

Diego opened and read the letter, then left it on a nearby table with a sigh, his melancholy giving room to plain sorrow.

"Bad news?" Felipe asked.

"No…nothing like that. I'm just wondering if he'll ever forgive me. He continues writing about cattle auctions and the administrative changes to the pueblo, but almost nothing about himself. He never even told me about that heart attack he had. I learned about it from the Figueroa twins. It's like he doesn't want to share anything important with me anymore, and he doesn't care how I'm doing, either. He asks about the Azuelas and Isabel and her baby, but not about me. It's like writing to a pen friend one never truly expects to see again in this life."

"You know, father, you never told me why they left like that and why you say he needs to forgive you. What is there to forgive? What happened between the two of you?"

Diego looked at him gloomily. "I did something very wrong, Felipe." He eventually told his son.

"I doubt that. But, if you'd like to talk about it, I'd never judge you, you know that!" The younger man stated. "And I am old enough to understand…"

"You are, indeed…But, if I told you, you might change your opinion of me, and. I'm not sure I could stand you despising me as well, son. I loathe myself enough already." Diego uttered.

"I would never despise you! Whatever you did, it can change nothing between us. I am just here to listen, father, if you want to tell me."

Diego took in a deep breath and swallowed hard "That night before Isabel's wedding…what should have been my wedding...I" he closed his eyes for a few seconds "I harmed Victoria, Felipe. I almost raped her."

"That is not possible! You wouldn't do such a thing! Is that why Isabel broke the engagement? You told her that absurdity?"

"In a way…It's a long story, really."

"I have nowhere to be."

Diego took another deep breath and focused his attention on the fireplace. "That evening, before the wedding, I found Victoria in my room when I went to bed. She asked me to spend the night with her, I refused, she kissed me when she left and Isabel saw that, so she broke the engagement, convinced that it had been more than just a kiss. After she did that, I was…I don't know…I lost my temper. I was furious and I blamed Victoria."

"Of course you blamed her! I told you she was trying to split you and Isabel up and she did it!"

"No, Felipe. You must not judge her! It was not her fault and it was for the best, anyway. Isabel is happy with Enrique and he is the man she was supposed to marry all along."

"But you are alone again. Your friends are all married and you keep brewing over Victoria despite all the harm she has caused you!"

"After what I did, perhaps that's what I deserve. Frankly, my love life has been a series of disasters. I was left at the altar by the first woman I wanted to marry, the second asked for an Annulment and the third broke the engagement and married someone else instead. Maybe it is time to admit it: I was not meant for marriage."

"That is nonsense! You are only 37 years old. There are still plenty of women in the world; you can still find one to make you happy!"

"No, Felipe. Truth is I should have given up after what happened with Victoria. I can't enter a marriage without giving my heart to the other person and I no longer have a heart to give. With Isabel it would have been a marriage of convenience, but who is to say we could have been happy together?"

"What happened afterward?" Felipe asked. "That night…when you said you…"

"As I mentioned, I was angry and irrational. I still don't really remember going to Victoria's room. I was just there one moment, telling her how I accepted to spend one night with her and never see her again."

"What did she do?"

Diego lowered his eyes. "I'd like to stop telling you about it now."

"But you need to continue. And I, for one, need for you to explain why do you say you almost raped her, when we both know that couldn't have happened!"

"Alright, Felipe…I'll tell you everything…" Diego gave in, feeling as if he was confessing to a priest. "So…I told her I wanted to make love to her and then I wanted her out of my life. I don't know why I said that…The next thing I knew, she took off her nightgown and just stared at me as perfect as she has always been in my dreams. There was this look in her eyes…thinking about it later, I believe it was fear. She was afraid of me, but at the moment I didn't even give it another thought. I practically forced myself on her and only returned to my senses when I heard her scream under me."

"Scream?"

"She wasn't ready…and I didn't realize I was rushing things until it was too late. Yet, I didn't stop then, either, as I should have. I just asked her if she was alright and, when she nodded, I continued. I used her to satisfy my own needs and desires, something I, myself, never thought I would be capable of doing."

"That doesn't mean you forced yourself on her! From what you say, she wanted you to make love to her. That's not rape."

"It wasn't love, either. What I did...God knows how I must have hurt her! The next morning, when I woke up, she was crying next to me, her back turned away, unable to even look at me. So I left. There was nothing I could have said or done to turn back time, I knew that much."

"All women hurt their first time, father. She knew what she was doing, just as much as you did. You are both old enough…And who knows why she was crying? There could be any number of reasons!"

"I guess it really doesn't matter anymore, Felipe! What's done it's done and I can do nothing to change it…After I left her room that morning, I am quite sure I'd heard the door to my father's room open when I was still in the corridor. He must have realized what had happened and took her away to protect her from his own son. That day, when I returned, I…I was hoping I might convince her to forgive me for what I did and to give me another chance. But when I read that message they left…I realized they had no wish to see me. It's why I sent them that letter instead of going after them. I hoped they might accept my apologies and reconsider keeping me away from them. Perhaps I should have just tracked them down after all…But, as I said, regrets are useless now."

"Maybe you are wrong about why they left. Maybe they left because you were supposed to marry Isabel that afternoon and neither one of them wanted that wedding, we both know that!"

"I doubt either of them believed me capable of going through with the wedding after having just spent the night with Victoria, no matter what I said. Not to mention that I did write to tell them I hadn't married Isabel. After all said and done, she still decided to wed someone else; a man who is my exact opposite. Ironic, isn't it? She didn't want me when she thought I was a coward and she ran away from me when she realized who I truly am, only to end up in the arms of a man like the one I was pretending to be when she first rejected me."

"So you'll just give up on love? On happiness? Because you can't have the woman who broke your heart in the first place? You…You never give up!"

"In life, there are battles you can't win, son. An intelligent man knows that. I cannot fight the will of God."

"You also can't know the will of God. Didn't Padre Benitez always say that He works in mysterious ways? Maybe Providence has taken these three women from you so that you could find a fourth. One who can mend everything you believe broken."

"Padre Benitez also used to say that God has a plan for everyone. Maybe love is not in His plan for me. No, Felipe...After all that happened with Victoria, I doubt I can ever find someone else."

When Felipe returned to his room, he considered again what to do with the third letter and, eventually, decided against giving it to his father, placing it instead in a drawer, underneath some books. Everything that had to do with Victoria somehow ended up hurting Diego, and the younger man decided to never let her hurt his father again. Even though he knew he was wrong not to let him decide for himself whether or not to read her letter, he also knew that the man who had raised him was not rational when it came to HER, and it was his job to protect him, as it had always been.

ZZZ

"Good morning, Victoria!" Don Alejandro greeted at finding the young taverness and her 4-months-old-baby at the breakfast table, placing a kiss on his grandbaby's forehead.

"Good morning, Don Alejandro!" She answered while feeding her child.

"Will you be going to the pueblo today?"

"No. Not today. I'd rather stay home with my little treasure here. Have you…Have you receive anything from Diego yet?"

"Nothing so far. I told you not to raise your hopes, my dear. He has another family to take care of now."

"I know, Don Alejandro, and I know I have already caused him enough grief…I just…" Victoria couldn't continue as tears invaded her eyes again, for what seemed like the millionth time in the last year alone, making her wonder how they haven't dried out, at that point.

Don Alejandro, who had been initially reluctant to allow her to send Diego the letter informing him of their child, was now upset with his son. In the four months since they had sent the letter, he could have even made the trip to come visit, he reasoned. Instead of that, he didn't even send a reply, whatever that might have been. His annoyance only grew when, two weeks later, a letter did arrive, yet included no word about Victoria and her baby, as if Diego decided to completely ignore their existence. That was when Don Alejandro did the thing he would most regret for the next few years, and, to a certain degree, the rest of his life. Disappointed with what he took as his son's refusal to recognize his child with Victoria, he sent him a very harsh letter, stating he was a coward for fleeing his responsibilities and that he never wanted to see or hear from him again.

When Diego received that letter, he read it and put it back in its envelope, then went for a 30-miles ride on Tornado, only to return some five hours later, long past midnight. He was in a bad mood for weeks after that, despite Felipe's, his friends', even his students' attempts to cheer him up. Then, one day, admitting to himself he could no longer go on living trapped in the past, chose to focus on the present. So he put on a fake smile and decided he would stop thinking about the father who refused to understand he could not bear the thought of returning to Los Angeles to see the woman he loved married to another man, raising with that person the children who should have been his; not even for the hacienda and the ranch his father obviously still wanted for him to take over.

Just as his heart was once shattered by Victoria's words, though, most of what he managed to salvage of it was again destroyed by his father's letter, the last pieces remaining only guarded for Felipe as Diego was determined to never again let himself care as deeply for another person.

Upset, as well, with the letter he had sent Diego, and which he had read without his father's permission, after seeing his state at leaving the house on Tornado the evening he received it, Felipe also ceased all communication with the elder De la Vega and returned all his future letters unopened.

ZZZ

"Father, do we really need all these wild beans?" Felipe asked on a Sunday morning, in June, 1826, looking at the ten big plant pots Diego had placed near the northern wall of their second courtyard.

"I would plant more but there is no space, so I'll just have to wait to see how they are doing." Diego answered, missing on purpose his son's rather dismissive attitude towards his new experiment. "Those roots are quite interesting, Felipe. They seem to possess a natural ability to fight off infections. The problem is I can't seem to replicate the results I got by using the original ones. My guess is that it must be something about the ground, too; some combination of the composition of the soil and the plant itself. I just need to find the right type of soil."

"We can always go get some from where we found that tribe." Felipe suggested.

"Hopefully that won't be necessary. I don't really have the time for the ride these days. But we'll see…If everything else fails…"

"How is the blood study going?"

"Quite well, actually. From the samples I got from you, our personnel, the Azuelas, and the Fuentes, including Isabel, I was able to identify some differences in the blood that might account for why transfusions seem to fail so miserably sometimes. The samples I got from Isabel and her mother, for example, look similar, which would explain how she survived the transfusion. Her father's, however, seems to have some different elements. My theory is that her body would not accept her father's blood. Of course, though, I cannot test that theory since, for all I know, it might kill her…"

"So…not that well, then."

"Let's say I am making some progress but the empirical method is a bit risky to apply when it comes to this particular experiment." Diego stated. "However…you are not here to ask me about my experiments, are you?" He asked with a smug look.

"No…Although, I still find them as fascinating as always." Felipe stated with a genuine smile. "I actually came to ask if we are going to the reception this evening. We missed the last three to which we were invited. I think the President might take it personally if we send him again our regrets…Miguel also asked if we are going, since he thinks Isabel needs a change of scenery…Apparently, she is becoming a rather overprotective mother."

"To be honest, I forgot about the invitation. If Miguel is taking Isabel, I believe we should go. Who knows…It might make for an interesting evening and my beans won't grow any faster just because I keep staring at them, anyway."

ZZZ

The names of the two Sánchezes have been a constant presence on the guestlist for the President's receptions for almost a year at that point, ever since Miguel's miraculous return, weeks after having been deemed dead. The President, who had met Diego for the first time when he had won the most important horserace in the Capital, almost two years earlier, and knew he was a master swordsman and the owner of the best racehorse in the city, hadn't bothered reading the long list of achievements, professions and rumors his Secretary had compiled on the caballero when he first invited him to an official event, nor has he made an effort to get to know him, barely exchanging a few polite words whenever he greeted him. While he believed Diego to be brave and loyal to his friends, as demonstrated by his actions when the Commander was thought to be dead, the fact that he was of a "pure Spanish bloodline" in a country which had recently separated from the old Empire and centered its own statehood around the concept of mestizo, i.e. people of mixed lineage, determined the President to categorize him (and his son), as what he considered "entertainers". More explicitly, the Mexican President believed there were two categories of guests to invite to a reception: the "main": generals, politicians, rich business owners and haciendados, foreign representatives, writers, and innovators, i.e. those who needed to be there because they had something important to say; and the "entertainers": famous singers, actors, adventurers, champions in various competitions and master swordsmen, in short, those he believed needed to attend because they were interesting enough to entice the "main" but whose opinions did not really count nor contribute to the general conversations. Diego himself had, at some point, realized the existence of the two categories and felt insulted enough to avoid, as much as possible, attending the events, only doing so whenever he had nothing better to do, and mainly if his friend asked for him to be there.

As Commander of the Presidential Guards, Miguel Azuela and his wife were, as well, always invited to attend the receptions, although, for Miguel they were also a work-related activities, since he was responsible with the security of the events and spent much of his time ordering his men around. For that reason, whenever his friends would attend, he got into the custom of entrusting his wife to Diego and Felipe, who made sure to entertain her and introduce her to the other guests.

"Diego! Is that really you?" A familiar voice called him that evening, just as he had left Isabel and Felipe, heading towards a small group of professors he wanted to greet. Diego turned to find himself standing face-to-face with Don Emilio Ponce, one of his father's friends and already the former Alcalde of Los Angeles.

"Don Emilio!" Diego greeted him with the enthusiasm with which he usually greeted all his old acquaintances. "It is good to see you again! I had no idea you were in Mexico City!"

"I am just passing through, Diego! I arrived yesterday and I am leaving tomorrow for Puebla. The President found out I was in town and invited me to discuss an initiative I implemented while serving as Alcalde. Dios! It is so good to see you! I wanted to apologize to you and I started to think I would never have the chance to do it."

"Apologize? Why would you need to apologize?"

"For the incident with Padre Benitez…When I attacked you. I had no idea, Diego…Had I known it was you, I would have never even considered…"

"My father told you?"

"No…He refused to say a word when he returned. It was Victoria who, eventually, told everyone. Although, I already had my suspicions at that point, and I am sure I wasn't the only one..."

"I see. So everybody knows…"

"Si, Diego! I think that Pelo was the most surprised. You should have seen his face…I thought he would have a heart attack! Would have served him right!" Don Emilio stated with some amusement at the memory of the former Alcalde being told Diego couldn't have driven Zorro away since he, himself, was Zorro.

"Yes…I am sure it must have been a particular shock for him." Diego stated seriously, the memory of the man still causing him to feel a knot in his stomach. "And my Father? What can you tell me about him? Is he alright?"

"Alejandro? Of course! He's just as you know him! Although, after almost dying that one time, he is now on a strict diet, constantly complaining he can no longer eat his favorite dishes."

"I see…" Diego uttered with a smile, glad to finally have some news of his father.

"He is fine, Diego, don't worry about him. I know he wants you to stay here and go on with your life. He made sure to repeat quite a few times that he doesn't want you or Felipe to return. And I can understand why, considering what happened during that visit he and Victoria paid you! Plus, now that he has a new successor, he is even content with his life."

Diego's heart plummeted with every word out of Don Emilio's mouth. His father didn't want anything to do with him; didn't want him or his son back, thus he had meant every word in that letter. He had also told his friends how he had behaved towards Victoria during their visit, probably in order to justify his decision to cut all communication with him. Having a new heir meant that he had even disinherited Felipe, after all…

"A new successor…"

"Victoria's baby, of course!"

"Of course. He did always see her as a daughter…"

"Yes, he did."

"So she and her…"

"Diego!" Isabel called, heading towards him, Felipe on her heels. "I hate to do this, but I am worried about Alejandrito." She stated with a worried grimace, as if somebody had just informed that her baby was in imminent danger. "I am sure his forehead was a bit warm when we left and I need to check on him! Could you take me home, please?"

"Of course, Isabel. But, before I do that, may I introduce you to Don Emilio Ponce, an old friend of my father's? Don Emilio, Isabel is…"

"Don Emilio Ponce?" A servant asked, nearing the group. "The President would like a word with you, senor."

"A pleasure, senora!" Don Emilio stated, kissing Isabel's hand. "Diego, if you'll excuse me! It was a great pleasure seeing you again, and, again, please accept my apologies! Felipe!" He greeted the younger man with a smile.

"A pleasure, as well, Don Emilio." Diego uttered as the older man was turning around to follow the servant.

After sending Felipe to inform Miguel he was taking his wife home, Diego offered Isabel Azuela his arm and guided her towards his carriage, just as Don Emilio glanced once more towards him and the woman he thought to be his wife, considering that Don Alejandro had often mentioned to him that his son had married a woman called Isabel. The woman having referred to (obviously) her child as Alejandrito – a diminutive for Alejandro – served to reinforce that idea, since it was a frequent custom for a couple to name the firstborn son after his paternal grandfather.

ZZZ

"Don Emilio! Welcome senor!" The President stated as the old don was entering his office.

"Your Excellency! It is an honor to meet you." Don Emilio stated as the president offered him his hand. The man was Diego's age, so very young for the office he had been elected to.

"I was looking forward to meeting you, senor." The President replied, guiding his guest towards a small protocol area of the office, where he indicated for him to take a seat. "As you know, I asked you here because I'd appreciate finding out more about your initiative to offer the lancers land parcels when they retire."

"It is nothing new, Senor Presidente, I invented no wheel, I assure you. During the Spanish rule, a similar measure was also in place in California. Unfortunately, too much corruption and abuse prevented it from being applied for over a decade already."

"Indeed, I know about all that. After all, I was an army man before being entrusted with the destiny of our new nation. However, the problem has been, for a while, that the Missions received control over most of the land in California, so the new parcels to give to soldiers need to first be acquired, and taxes are the only available resources to do that."

"Indeed. Although, if you ask me, perhaps it's high time for a land reform, senor."

"True. But in order for one to be implemented, a law needs to be adopted first. Considering the number of governments which had already come and gone in the few years since my election, not to mention the absolute hopelessness of trying to find someone who could write such a law in the first place, without trying to abuse it for his own gains, I doubt that will be possible. So my alternative…"

"Excuse me for saying this, Your Excellency, but you do have a man here who is more than qualified for the task." Don Emilio stated.

"Do I? And who is this Unicorn, senor?"

"Not a Unicorn…A Fox."

The president looked at him completely confused by his statement.

"Don Diego de la Vega…excuse me…Diego Sánchez, I keep forgetting he changed his name."

"I am afraid I don't follow you, senor. What could recommend a sword master, however good a fighter and strategist he might be, for such a project?"

"Well…I'm sure you must already know that Diego no mere sword master but a living legend." Don Emilio stated. "Zorro." He clarified at seeing that the President was still confused with his statement. "He spent a decade fighting against injustice, constantly risking his life and never accepting any recognition for his deeds. After all, he had been declared a Hero of the People for a reason! More so, as far as I understand, he is rich enough not to even consider personal gains and even if he wasn't, he would never seek unjust profit. Finally, he has enough legal knowledge to be more than able to write the law and he is brilliant enough to anticipate consequences others might not even consider."

"Senor Sánchez is the Legendary Zorro?" The President wondered. "But…he is a caballero…Are you sure of that information?"

"Very sure, Senor Presidente; just as I am sure of his character." Don Emilio stated.

The conversation left the Mexican President deep in thought and nobody saw him again that evening, except for Miguel Azuela whom, being a known friend of Diego's, the President proceeded to interrogate for several hours. By the time Miguel returned home, it was almost midnight and the President had managed to pull out most of the information he needed on Senor Sánchez, going to sleep that night satisfied with the knowledge that he had finally found the right man for a job that had caused him quite a few sleepless nights during the last years.

AN: There are a few clues in this chapter about how this story will end (more than in most other chapters, at least). If you discover them (or think you do) I humbly ask for you to only include them in a PM (if you feel inclined to send me on) and not also in your reviews, since they might spoil the fun for the other readers.