As promised, a speedy update. Next chapter will take a little longer. I hope to get it finshed before the end of next week.

Chapter 20.

Diego waited and waited. When there was no immediate response, not a cry of horror or an explosion of anger or even a sob of despair, he opened his eyes just enough to see that Victoria looked at him, perfectly calm and at ease.

"Was that so difficult?" Victoria had a serene smile on her lips that betrayed little of her emotions.

It was even worse than anything he had feared. He opened his eyes complete and dared to glare at Victoria. His eyes got drawn to her left hand, now adorned with an emerald ring he was sure she hadn't worn a minute earlier.
"You already knew." To his horror, he heard an accusatory undertone and some doubt in his voice, betraying that maybe Victoria hadn't given up on Zorro after all. And for that reason might be willing to accept that he was Diego.

Victoria apparently did not notice the undertone, as she replied very calmly. "I knew after our last kiss.
I had shaking knees as I broke up with Zorro. You remained so calm, and yet something in your attitude changed. Like you were happy with what I said instead of disappointed, as I expected.
The kiss you gave me was unlike any of our other kisses. I felt a kind of hope.
Not right away, but later, when I started thinking about what was different this time. That kiss did not speak of an end, but a new beginning."

Diego was amazed and tried to grasp what Victoria was saying. "And all that from one kiss?"

Victoria shrugged. "It wasn't just the kiss. But after that kiss, more and more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Like why Diego had never expressed his feelings. Why Zorro wanted me to marry Diego? Why Diego is never anywhere to be found? And why Zorro is always up-to-date?
All those questions could get answered in the same way every time. And the more questions that came to my mind, the more often that answer seemed to be the only option. Because he is Zorro, slash Diego."

Uncertain, Diego cleared his throat. "So you found out after you broke up?"

He wishes it didn't matter. But it did.

"Yes, what I told you in the garden was the truth. I couldn't live with the thought of you marrying someone else. I was torn inside and realized that I was jealous of every woman who crossed your path. When I also started having nightmares of what it would be like if you married that snake…,
Still, I wasn't ready to give in. That only came after I compared the mystery writer's handwriting with yours. Suddenly so much was clear. You had feelings for me. And because of that, I couldn't suppress my feelings any longer, and believe me, I tried. In any case, I could no longer deny them to myself once I gave in to the possibility. Then days later, I also had to ask myself why Zorro accepted so easily, I changed my mind."

Before he could hope for a future together, he had to find out if Victoria had it in her heart to forgive him, all the pain he had deliberately inflicted on her. "So, how mad were you?"

"On a scale of one to ten you mean?"

"Something like that." preparing himself to see a blush appear on her cheeks and see fire spit out of her eyes as she hurled at him with a sharp tongue every curse she could think of.

"Diego, I have not been angry. Why would I? You put your life and dreams on hold for me, and all the people Zorro has protected over the years. How can I be mad at a man who always puts himself and his chance for love and happiness in second place and never asks for anything in return? Except if I wanted to open my eyes. And it's not like you didn't try to tell."
She moved a little closer to him and stroked his cheek. "If I felt any kind of anger at all, it was more frustration and disappointment."

There it was. Diego knew he wasn't getting off this easy. "Tell me. I can handle it now."

"Diego, the first time I saw Zorro, he rescued me from prison. In the years that followed, he never disappointed me, except twice during brief encounters in your father's garden."

"Twice?" Diego held his breath.

"Yes, the first time was when he suggested that I marry someone like don Diego. Back then, I hoped our feelings were mutual. And I was disappointed when he said he wanted to see me married to someone else. Minutes later, he told me that he did answer my feelings. And in a way that could not get described. We kissed, and in that one kiss, he managed to put all the feelings, he said were no words for.

The second time was when he easily accepted that my feelings had changed.
He didn't even blame me. He kissed me again, but this time it was different. As I said, it wasn't a goodbye kiss. It was a kiss someone gave who just found out that all his wishes got fulfilled." Victoria sat calmly, her folded hands resting on her lap.
"If I had paid more attention that first time in the garden or one of the countless times after when Zorro tried to tell me in a roundabout way who he was. We would have been married years ago, and your father would probably have been a grandfather by now."

Diego gently placed his hand on hers, which still rested on his cheek, making it impossible to break eye contact. "Are you sure? You are not mad and can forgive me?"

Victoria sat up on her knees. Her face was only inches from his as she leaned forward. "There is nothing to forgive. Yes, you lied and hurt me. But I have hurt you infinitely more."

Then he felt Victoria's warm lips on his. Her kiss tasted like the first spring sun. When the flowers seemed to jump from the ground, cheering that spring is coming, promising a time of prosperity. Answering her kiss, not quite reassured that a long and happy life was his to take.

"Do I stand a chance?" He cleared his throat again.

Victoria was genuinely surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Does Diego stand a chance now that you know I've been lying to you for years? Something I should never have done."

"So why did you?" For the first time, he saw incomprehension flicker in her beautiful eyes.

"It was a mistake. The idea was so brilliant in all its simplicity. Give Luis Ramón an enemy who instils fear and awe in him. I had underestimated him in how cruel and unscrupulous he was. Zorro had the opposite effect, instead of Ramon making some improvements. He just went from bad to worse Before I knew it, I got entangled in a web of lies. And the only way I could think of to keep your safety guarantee was by making sure you knew as little as possible."
Diego hadn't noticed how his hands had clenched into fists. It was after he felt soft fingers caressing his white knuckles, he realized how tense he was.
"Victoria, please believe me when I say it was never my intention to let it get this far."

She didn't respond, so he continued with his story.
"Soon Ramón started using you as a tool to blackmail Zorro. As Diego, I could build a wall around myself and hide my feelings from you. That you weren't interested in me helped.
As Zorro..., Victoria, every time you looked up at me. Your eyes were full of admiration and love. My flesh was weak, and I told myself that as long as everyone knew you loved Zorro. Diego only had to wait until the time came to reveal the truth. I was so wrong." He shook his head in disbelief at how naive he had been.

"You mean when I almost married Juan?" Victoria sounded embarrassed.

"No, not even that. I could kick myself for what I'd done. Dressing up as Zorro to make you admit your love to me only made your life more in danger. At the same time, I ruined every chance Diego might have had. Ramón had the accident, and I decided to help Sergeant Mendoza until there was a new alcalde and then tell you. I hoped you still wanted to share your life with me.
That alcalde turned out to be de Soto. I had high hopes for him, as you may remember. It was the chance for Zorro to hang his clothes. Unfortunately, it showed again how naive I was and how power can change a person."

"And now?" Victoria asked him.

"The dons and Caballeros seem to want to organize themselves better to stand together against de Soto. I think they should have that chance. As they should have had the chance six years ago to form a front against Ramón. I will help where I can, and only when left with no other choice will Zorro ride. Until then, Zorro is dead."

Victoria smiled. "I actually meant between us."

"Victoria, I'd love to marry you today. So that you can be mine before you change your mind."

"And who says we can't? We are engaged for quite some time. I've got a ring to prove it."

Diego heard a teasing undertone in her voice. Oh, how he loved it. He laughed, took the hand that held the ring, and kissed each of her fingers. "Are you sure? After you've say I do. I swear, I never let you go."

"Try to stop me. I gave up Zorro to marry Diego. Do you think now I figured out all your secrets, I settle for someone else?" For a moment, a wave of uneasiness passed over her face. "Now I know your secrets, don't I? You don't have any more secret identities I should know about?"

"No, you met all three. Honestly, I still have a few more secrets, and it will take years to confess them all. But all the secrets that could endanger your love for me, you know, I swear."

Diego felt a slap on his shoulder. "You better don't forget. The next time you pull a trick like that, I don't think I will be so forgiving.
And what do we do with the ring?" She held up the ring as if he didn't know which one she meant. "Zorro told me I could keep it as a memento, but I'd like to be an engagement ring again."

"It never has been anything else." Unable to resist her gaze any longer, he pulled Victoria into his arms and kissed her until she gasped.

Once they had regained their breath, Victoria asked, "When are we getting married?"

Desiring to feel her lips on his again, Diego answered her. "As soon as possible." Requesting more kisses.

Much later, when the emotions were somewhat under control, and they were both able to have a normal conversation, Victoria asked anxiously. "Diego, aren't you afraid that De Soto will get suspicious if I suddenly marry you. I can see him hang you, just to be on the safe side."

"I've already thought about that. We'll get married as soon as possible, and with a little luck, de Soto will believe Zorro did indeed die. And you, out of grief and despair, threw you into my arms when you found out I have feelings for you. If not …," Diego hated to keep a secret from her again, but in this case, there was no choice. "Let us cross that bridge when we get there."

"Diego, I don't want to lose you."

"And you won't, trust me. Now I can finally hold you legitimately as Diego in my arms, even de Soto can't stop me from spending eternity with you."

It was almost dinner time before Diego and Victoria finally returned to the hacienda, Alejandro and Felipe waiting for them. And when the don saw the ring on Victoria her finger, he nodded happily and asked Felipe to finish the bottle of champagne. to make a toast.

Two days later, a special licence got granted.

And after it became revealed how the don had won the heart of the tavern owner through poems in the newspaper, the wedding was no surprise for most.

For many people, the rumours that Zorro might be dead became a fact. Zorro didn't show himself on the day his love stood at the altar beside another man. Leaving no other option than everyone had to face the truth…,

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I think the next chapter will be the last. I do, however, make no promises.