I really love to read reviews. They are always welcome.

I will try to update one more chapter before Christmas.

Chapter 9.

Victoria had been worrying over Zorro from the second he left the pueblo being followed by de Soto.
De Soto had been acting way too confident, he was going to capture Zorro. She had heard the lancers talk about the telescope de Soto had purchased. Wanting to use it to follow and track down Zorro. Zorro come to the pueblo this morning. To free some innocent men de Soto had to thrown in jail. De Soto had been prepared, it had been a trap. To lure Zorro into the pueblo. The best horse in the cartel had been standing ready to ride, for the alcalde to go after Zorro.

Victoria had no doubt Zorro would be able to outsmart the alcalde as he had done hundreds of times. But ever since she had found out him being Diego, it might sound weird, but she had realized more than ever before Zorro wasn't invincible.

When after 4 hours there still was no sign of de Soto, his horse came back without a rider on his back. So a patrol of lancers was to send out for a search. This should make her feel more safe. Victoria could not shake the feeling of something had gone wrong. She had been out on the porch countless times. Hoping to see Diego or Felipe entering the pueblo.

An hour later Victoria wanted to go to the hacienda. In the hope to find out more. She could not come up with a believable excuse. It was like her brain was frozen.

After siesta, Don Alejandro had come in to have a drink in the tavern. She had asked after Diego and Felipe. They had gone fishing the man had told her, since early this morning. Zorro had been in the pueblo this morning, so the information of Diego and Felipe gone fishing was of no use. If anything, Diego had not gone out fishing.
Victoria had been cutting of customers and was constant glaring at the door in the hope of Diego or if not, Felipe was to walk in.

It was close to dinner time, when she overheard her helpers worrying about her. For Victoria was acting even more out of habit then after her break up with Zorro. About that same time the patrol came back. De Soto was with them, and he seemed unharmed and wasn't glowing. Actually he was rather quiet. That was the first good sign Victoria had since early this morning.

About half an hour later some lancers walked in. Taking their orders, Victoria stayed close by, in the hope to hear some information about what happened that afternoon. Not being able to get to close, she only heard the words Indians, tasks, and them not believing Zorro had done these things and could have survived. And something about making a narrow escape?
Not needing to hear anything more, she told her helpers she had a headache and needed to take the rest of the evening of. She ran upstairs to get a scarf. She was going to the hacienda, if Diego wasn't there she was going to search for him herself.

.

Victoria opened the door of her bedroom and was just able to keep a scream in. Zorro was sitting in a chair. Clearly in a lot of pain.

Hearing the door opening in reflex, using some of his last strenght Zorro grabfor his sword. That laid on the small table next to the chair. Seeing it was Victoria, he sat back in the chair allowing her to see how weak he was feeling. Victoria hurried over, kneeled in front of him. "What happened?" She wanted to know.

A faint smile was showing on his face. "The alcalde needs to improve his tracking skills."

"I have been worried about you, de Soto returned hours ago and was unharmed. What happened to you? Did he catch you? He said nothing about such a thing."

"No, the fool insulted Indians by dishonouring their burial grounds."

"Then what?

"Zorro went to the camp to talk to the chief and medicine man. To plead de Soto's case. De Soto insulted them again, in the end the Indians agreed on Zorro following the river of pain."

"that sounds like something brutal."

"Victoria? I will tell you, for now, can you just hold me?" It was something in his voice, sounding desperate. Pushing herself up to her knees, Victoria opened her arms. Diego holding her tighter than ever. For Victoria, it almost felt like Diego was trying to suck all strength she was willing to give him out of her. Him needing her harder and more than ever before. Zorro had always been the strong invincible hero. The man she was holding in her arms now, needed her to be the stronger one for this moment.
Diego did not try to kiss her. He only needed to feel her warmth and strength. Her soft hands in his neck. Her warm breath moving over his cheek. Feeling the comfort she gave him. To make him realize he had survived this day. After a few minutes his grip on her got less intense.
Not ready to let him completely go she held on to his hands "Can you now tell me what happened?" It was then she noticed his hands covered in scratches and small but deep wounds.

"Let me first get some warm water to clean your hands and something to drink." Victoria was already getting up. Diego stopping her.

"No Victoria, it will make people suspicious. Why did you come up anyway? It is crowded downstairs. I thought I had to wait for at least two more hours before I could see you."

"I overheard some lancers, something happened to you. So I told my helpers I had a headache and needed to lay down. I wanted to go to the hacienda. Making sure you are alright."

It felt nice to have someone worry over him. "I am fine as you can see. Just some bruises and superficial injuries."
Victoria looking at him not believing a word he was saying., made him continue. "There are more are on my back."

"I will go down and get some warm water. Don't you dare!" For Zorro tried to get up. "I will say it is for myself."

Zorro must be exhausted and in pain for he gave in and asked "Try also to bring some rum or whiskey."

"I thought you didn't drink."

"It is not to drink."

"Do you also want me to bring a needle and tread?" accepting that Zorro was injured and best to do now, was take care of Diego as best as she could.

"I do not think that will be necessary."

"I'll be right back."

.

5 minutes later Victoria returned carrying a bidet jug, some clean cloths, covering the bottle of her strongest rum. Locking the door behind her. "Take of your shirt and lay down on the bed, so I can check your back first. Unless you think I need to check on other wounds first."

Sighing Zorro stood up stretching out his hand "that isn't necessary. Just give me the bottle of rum and a clean cloth. I can manage myself"

Victoria placed the jug on her night stand, ignoring his hand. "I will be the judge of that. Now take of your shirt."

"Victoria, if someone sees, this is highly improper."

"That is why I locked the door and have said I only want to be disturbed in case of a fire. Now are you going to take of your shirt, or do you want me to do it myself?"

There wasn't a part of his body that didn't hurt. Very well aware he needed some medical aid. Felipe would not mind doing it. It would have been smarter to return to the cave first. Diego had needed mental help harder than psychical after what he had done this afternoon.
The temptation of feeling Victoria's fingers moving over his back was huge. So he gave in to her demand and start to take of what was left of his shirt and laying himself down on her bed.

Victoria was holding her breath. The only naked men she had ever seen, where her brothers as they were all children. She herself not being older than nine or ten years old. Diego was definitely not a child. His upper body was all muscles. Not a gram of fat. His abdomen totally flat, his chest wide. The sight alone took her breath away, it made her brain stop to function and gave her shaking knees.

Turning on the bed, so his back came in sight, Victoria saw the injuries on it, making her mind return to the bedroom. Dried blood and bruises all over. Out of some wounds still some blood was coming.
She started by trying to get the dried blood of. To get a better view of which wounds needed her attention first. Diego hissed when the warm cloth touched his injured skin. "Sorry, I do not want to hurt you."

"Just clean it, so it will not get infected."

"Tell me what happened. The truth please, if you do not mind?" The tone of her voice making it very clear Victoira would not buy it if he was going to downsize what happened.

Diego started telling how Zorro had been aware of de Soto following him with the use of a telescope. How he had made false tracks to lead de Soto to a ravineToronado could jump. After that de Soto giving no other choice than to give up his chase and returning to the pueblo.
De Soto had not been paying attention when following the tracks. Ending up on an ancient sacred burial ground of the Indians. Zorro tried to warn de Soto. And surprise the man had not listened.

Zorro had gone to the Indians pleading for de Soto. De Soto was captured and insulted the Indians even more. The Indians had sentenced the alcalde to trial by fire. Meaning in short burn him alive. It was against Zorro's beliefs of justice. So he had demanded Zorro to take de Soto's place. The Indians had seemingly admired his braveness and so the Indians had changed it in Zorro following the river of pain. This being three tasks that had to be preformed.

The first task being walking through two rows of Indians beating him with sticks.
The second winning a combat against the best Indian.
The third was climbing against a steep mountain wall.

Again de Soto almost ruined everything by capturing the chiefs' daughter.
In the end it was thanks to the lancers arriving, Zorro was able to make his way out of the Indian camp. And de Soto being able to return to the pueblo. The indians had kept there promise for Zorro had followed the entire river of pain.

Victoria shaking her head, still was cleaning wounds."I do not understand why time after time you are helping de Soto. It was his own fault."

She was irritated for waht he had done, he could tell."Victoria, if I didn't try to lead him to that ravine…"

"No, That is were you're wrong. This wasn't you fault. If de Soto wasn't so obsessed by capturing Zorro. If he instead of try to capture you, he tried to be a good alcalde. If he only once had shown some interest in the Indian tribes living nearby, none of this would have happened. Don't you dare blame yourself for something that is his own responsibility."

Diego smiled."you know Zorro doesn't work like that."

"I know, against better judgement you try time after time to change de Soto and turn him into a better man. You keep trying to see the best in people. Even when there isn't any.
It is one of the reasons I love you. But that doesn't mean I still think you have risked your life enough for that man even without doing those stupid tasks."
While she was cleaning his back, Victoria had noticed more scars. Most had healed a long time ago. So was there a scar from a gunshot on his left side. Leaving the subject behind. Not wanting to argue more about it, she asked "When did you get shot?"

"The lancers do not always miss". Was all he said

In the meantime Victoria now had started to clean the deeper wounds with some rum. Carefully not wanting to hurt him even more, "Tell me."

"There isn't much to tell. I was making my way out of the pueblo and one bullet scraped me. It happened years ago. Ramón was still alcalde."

"Have you been badly injured many times?"

Victoria was finished cleaning all the wounds and now started to put oil on the bruises. It was hard to keep the touching just for practical medical reasons. Luckily indeed none of the wounds needed stitching.

"I am not invincible you know. So the answer is yes."

Victoria stopped for a minute what she was doing. Questioning herself did she wanted to know? "Go on."

"The worst time, I think... was when I fell of a cliff and Felipe and Toronado saved me. That was that time Ramón even organized a memorial for he told everyone I had died."

"I remember. Ramón telling, you were like a brother to him and you sitting up straight in the coffin." the memory on that happening putted a smile on her face. "Diego said he fell of the old mare." the memory of waht happened after fainted the smile of her face. "Me and your father humouring it."
Victoria had stopped moving her fingers over his back. Feeling guilty of what she had said that day. "I have said so many horrible things to you." she whispered softly.

Diego glared over his shoulder at the woman sitting next to him on the bed. It took some effort for him to get up and lift her chin. Making her look at him. Both were now sitting up straight, each on one side of the bed.
"Most of those remarks, you were forgiven before you even said them. It is a part of the masquerade. You believing what you saw, only helped me to convince others I could not be Zorro".

Silence felt the room Both heartbeats rising when Victoria's eyes closed her eyes. Trying to forgive herself for the things she had said over the years.
Victoria felt how Diego's hand gliding from her chin to her shoulder. The blouse she wore made it easy to push a sleeve down. Revealing part of her chemise and breasts. When Victoria opened her eyes she saw Diego's eyes started to spark. It was that or the touch of his hand that made Victoria feel she was on fire. What she saw made her loosen the ribbon keeping the blouse in place. Making the neckline wider, so Diego could push the blouse down to her waist.

Victoria freed her arms from the sleeves.
Too curious or the bare skin of his chest was just as smooth and silky as it looked she let her hands glide over his chest.
This made Diego lose his mind. Not being able to think straight any longer. He started to unbuttoning her chemise. Freeing her breasts. The sight of her hard nipples, he only wanted one thing, finding out the taste of her nipples.
Slowly taking one in his mouth, gently licking on it. The nipple even got harder in his mouth.
Victoria curling her back. Allowing him better access to her beautiful body. Victoria buried her fingers in his shoulders, because of the mask he was still wearing she could not get any grip on his head. And she needed something to hold on to.

The sensations she was feeling, she only wanted one thing. Diego never to stop doing what he was doing.
Diego placed one arm around her waist. Changing his mouth from the one nipple to the other. Using his free hand to cup the breast his mouth had kissed seconds before.

"Die… Diego" Victoria tried to tell Diego to go on and never to stop. When he softly squeezed her breast, she could not hold in a small scream of pleasure. His thumb moving over the nipple that was still moist from being in his mouth.
A feeling Victoria had never felt this intense before, started to rise in her lower body pars. For some reason she wanted Diegi to change his attention from her breasts to between that secret part between her legs.

Diego was having problems of his own. His thighs started to feel uncomfortable painful. As Victoria's hands were trying to touch and kiss him everywhere she could reach. Victoria managed to catch one of his earlobes between her lips and started sucking on it.
Diego holding his breath when her fingers touched his nipples, after that continue their way down to the waistband and pulling on his belt in an effort to loosing it up.

Suddenly a knock on the door made Diego aware of where he was and what he was doing. Letting go of each other, scared for who was interrupting them. Probably just in time. Before any real dishonouring had taken place.

"Victoria are you awake?" It was Alice, one of Victoria's helpers softly asking this.

"Si..." Victoria puffed out. Diego very pleased and admiring Victoria for what she was doing. For his mouth was to try to make any sound at all.

"I just wanted to let you know we will close the tavern and go home. If you want, I can be in an hour early tomorrow. Start up things? For if you still do not feel up to it?
Victoria…? Everything alright?" The leaver of the door going up and down.

"Si Si thank you, Alice. See you tomorrow." Words coming out of Victoria's mouth she almost did not recognize her own voice. Hearing how the footsteps fainted away and moved down the stairs.

Zorro getting up from the bed, "I'll better go."

"Don't you…. don't you want something to eat, and stay a little longer?" Victoria was blushing. She did not want him to leave.

Diego smiled. Regretting having to go, he pulled the blouse back on to her shoulders. In the hope that by covering her breasts the temptation of kissing, touching or sucking on her nipples would get under control. If he was to start again, this time he would not be able to stop even if the alcalde himself stormed in the room.
"I'll need to go, Felipe will be worried about me. And I told my father I went fishing. I assume Diego just forgot about time again."

Victoria smiled disappointed for Diego started to pull his shirt back on. Or what was left of it. "I can not believe your father and I both fell for this lying for so long."

"Well I tried very hard to let you think those things."

"I… I… can go down and see what is left. I wouldn't mind if you stayed… tonight…"

Remembering and still breath taken at view of the naked torso of Diego. And what just happened her cheeks turned even more red. She wouldn't mind having to wash his chest side to. Diego in silence appologizing to her for what he was going to do.
"You do that Victoria. I am a little hungry."

Making her way down Victoria found some left over stew and cold tamales. When she returned to her bedroom Zorro was gone. On the table a small piece of paper, it only said,
Querida forgive me, always D.

Somehow it did not surprise her. Diego was too much of a gentleman to have stayed the night. She had to known that. And indeed it was for the better, she would be able to see that.

Someday...

.

The next morning Felipe and don Alejandro entered the tavern just before noon. Alejandro greeting some friends, made it possible for Victoria to asked Felipe how Diego was doing.
Felipe signed Diego was fine and planned to come to the tavern later. After he had finished his work for the Guardian.

This morning rumours were told in the pueblo about Zorro having to marry an Indian woman. De Soto telling he had been there when the Indians had offered a woman to Zorro. Just as all lancers that had been out on the search for de Soto yesterday had seen happening.
Zorro making a very narrow escape. De Soto was clearly curious for how the tavern owner was going to response to this news.

Victoria barely responding to it. She and Zorro had broken up, for Zorro wanted to marry another woman. She only hoped he was going to be happy and was wondering a loud, or it could have been she was lucky one. Zorro perhaps being part Indian? It would explain why Zorro was such an excellent tracker and horseman. Skilled with weapons as well. That was what she questioned as de Soto only grow only more frustrated and his face slowly turned red in anger.
The mere thought of being outsmarted by an outlaw was bad. If things turned out, he was outsmarted time after time by just one Indian, would make things far worse.
Victoria pretending not to see this. Actually having a good time herself.
De Soto was just leaving the tavern having that thought in his head, when he bumped into the young de la Vega who was about to enter the tavern. "Out of my way de la Vega!"

Diego walking over to Victoria, standing behind the counter. "What is up with him?"

Victoria no longer had to hold in her laughter "Nothing, it is just, he has been telling Zorro perhaps is needed to marry an Indian woman. I just planted the seed in his head, Zorro might have some Indian roots. And he is not pleased on the idea… " As she poured Diego some lemonade, she made eye contact with the tall caballero. "I missed you yesterday."

Diego responding very innocent. "I had been out fishing all day, and it was already dark before I returned to the hacienda. My father already worrying I got lost again, actually I had just forgotten about time."

"Fishing you say? Did you catch any?" Victoria licking her lips and was teasing him. Curious for how proper Diego was going to response to this.

"Well eh yes I caught some beautiful fish, unfortunately it was barely enough to satisfy a hungry man's... appetite...
It was very tasteful. Actually, it tasted delicious... And I longed for more... eh fish..."

Victoria noticed how her breathing had incensed. Diego giving 'gone fishing' a completely different meaning. Suddenly they were interrupted again.

"I don't like fish, they are so wet and slippery. As a child, I think I was about six years old, I almost choked on a fish bone once." It was Mendoza who had walked up to the counter to chat with the young don, when he had seen him come in. Who knows, it might get him a free lunch.
Not seeing the two people next to him having trouble hiding their emotions.

"So much effort goes in the catching. First finding the right bait, then the waiting, not knowing, or they will bite. And when finally catch on, you need to prepare it. I, much rather have some nice tamales served by señorita Escalante."

Diego coughing "Well tamales are nice to I admit. In this case I preferred the fish..." Diego's eyes glaring to different parts of Victoria's body then her face. This still had gone unnoticed by the sergeant.

"Well don Diego, if the fish really tasted that delicious, perhaps you can give me the recipe. I might give it a try."

Diego almost choking in his sip of lemonade managed to say, as his ears turning red. "Well let me tell you over a fine lunch of tamales. I am buying. Victoira?"

Saluting the lemonade to Victoria. "This taste excellent too, as always señorita." Diego making his way over to the table, his father was sitting at.
Victoria hurrying her way into the kitchen for she felt her cheeks has turned fiery red again.
And sergeant Mendoza... he was just pleased that a little chatting over fish has resulted in him having a free lunch of his favourite dish.

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