Warning! This chapter contains few to no fluffy stuff. Instead, it is rather violent. ;)
Chapter 6
Alejandro's hands were shaking, his voice trembled. "Son, believe me when I say I am grateful that you find the time has come, to be honest with me."
Diego uttered. "I never wanted to lie. It all happened so suddenly. Before I knew it was out of my control. Looking back, I would have confided you sooner. It just never seemed like the right time."
With a sore voice, Alejandro went on. "I don't blame you, Diego. I'm as much to blame. I am a simple soul who tried to deny what was right in front of him all the time."
Felipe watched with an open mouth in astonishment.
Alejandro cleared his throat. "Forgive me, son. A parent should want to give his child what is best. Whatever it is."
"Father, I have nothing to forgive."
"Yes, you do. My motives are purely selfish. Like an old tree, I, too, am deeply rooted in this soil. Here are too many memories of the past. It is too late for me to relocate and settle somewhere else. I have worked so hard to make a living here. Diego, you are not a ranchero, and I never expected you to stay in Los Angeles. Victoria belongs to this land like me. This land is where our souls belong. You, son, are destined for something larger. Diego, I have known it since a long time ago, felt it in my bones. And, it is about time I stopped denying for myself, it isn't."
"Father, that is not at all what I meant to say. I wanted to say that I..."
Don Alejandro didn't listen. His mind was too occupied in his words. "Maybe, it's a vain hope. But I really appreciate it if you decide to stay in California, perhaps you can settle in Monterey. Or perhaps Mexico." Alejandro spoke, hopefully.
"Father, I have no intention whatsoever of leaving Los Angeles."
"Not?" Hope and disbelief echoed in his words.
"Father, I'm as rooted in Los Angeles as you are. Indeed, I'm interested in various topics. Science continues to fascinate me. Father, I wanted to talk about something else." Somehow, finding out his father feared his son wanted to leave Los Angeles made it easier for Diego to say the words that had been the reason for the start of the conversation.
"Father, I'm… Zorro."
Alejandro grinned and shook his head. "Funny. No, I would have known that. You don't fool me that easily."
"Father, it is no joke. It is the truth. I'm Zorro. Felipe has known ever since the beginning. And he has been an immense help to me. And as of this week…, Victoria and I have no more secrets from each other." For a moment, Diego glared at the woman beside him. She gives him a small smile, encouraging him to continue.
Alejandro looked from Victoria to Felipe, to Diego, back to Felipe, Victoria to finish with Diego.
As if he expected one of them to burst out laughing and yell, fooled you!
"But, but, it can't be! This is absurd. My son, Zorro? Ridiculous. No one would believe that."
"Yet it is true, Don Alejandro." Victoria tried to convince the don.
Alejandro looked open-mouthed at Victoria.
"But..., but..., but how...?"
Diego leaned over to his father, cleared his throat and began to tell what was the beginning of a long story. "It started with my return home from Spain. You and Victoria were arrested by alcalde Ramon, remember? Obviously, I tried to convince Ramon that he was mistaken. He considered me arguing as a treat. In return, he threatened to take everything we hold dear and owned…"
Bit by bit, Diego told his father the truth and answered some questions Alejandro stammered.
"...It was a web of lies that continued to get further entangled..."
"...Felipe has been a faithful ally all these years. The times he has saved my life are countless…"
Felipe blushed when Alejandro looked at the boy with his mouth open.
"… Felipe is my eyes and ears."
"But, but…," Alejandro uttered, feeling like a fool.
Now Felipe started gesturing. Trying to understand the gestures, Alejandro looked at the boy, petrified.
"You aren't deaf? But, but…,"
"...But how did you manage to keep this a secret? Where is your hiding place?"
"...The cave behind the hacienda? But, but...,"
"...And Toronado...? Where did you get him...?"
"...And Victoria, you know too? But, but..."
"...You are getting married? But, but..."
"I just can't believe it." After some time. And many answers to his questions, Alejandro slowly began to accept the truth. He had tears in his eyes when he got out of his chair. "Son, I thought I was going to lose you. You don't know how much I dreaded the moment you told me you wanted to build a life far away from here."
"I love this place as much as you do. I can immerse myself in my interests anywhere. Home is where your heart is. And my heart is in Los Angeles."
Diego looked sideways at Victoria with love.
Alejandro uttered. "The opposite of my fear is true, instead, of losing my son. I gain you back. Diego, come into my arms." He walked over to his son. Diego got up and got embraced by his father. The last time Diego was held so tight by his father, was before he became Zorro and had just stepped out of the carriage returning from Spain.
After Alejandro had let go of his son, he turned to Felipe. "And Felipe, you too, for all you have done to keep my son safe. I have no idea how to thank you." Felipe was not used to such praise. He felt uncomfortable. And was secretly pleased, after the old don embraced him, Alejandro went over to Victoria.
"Victoria, let me greet you to the de la Vega family. My son could not have chosen a more suitable bride."
Alejandro pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I can't wait for the day to arrive when I can call you my daughter."
Slowly it got later and later. It was nearly midnight before the initial surprise had subsided. And, the most essential questions were all answered.
Alejandro finally stopped stammering every two sentences, the words but, but. And was willing to accept, his son was telling the truth. Victoria suggested that she return to the pueblo.
Alejandro refused to hear of this and insisted on Victoria spending the night at the hacienda.
Diego agreed with his father, and Victoria allowed herself to be persuaded on the condition that she was to return to the tavern before sunrise.
The guest rooms in the hacienda were all spacious and luxurious.
The beds were large and twas made with high-quality cotton sheets.
Victoria changed into a nightshirt Diego had leaned her that was his own. And she thought heated that wearing Diego's nightclothes was rather intimate. She crawled under the covers and fell asleep with a blissful feeling.
Everyone in the hacienda was up early. Felipe took Victoria to the pueblo before dawn.
Diego gave Alejandro the requested tour of the cave and was amazed.
The more the old don got told, the more questions he asked.
It was noon and, the men went to the pueblo to have lunch in the tavern.
Diego managed to sneak outside and speak to Victoria alone for a moment.
"And?" She asked curiously.
"The stream of questions is endless. And father keeps on telling me countless times how proud he is and does not blame me for lying all these years. Only he has some difficulty with the fact that I am different from the one he thought."
"Good to hear it all is working out. Give him some time." Invisible to others, Victoria ran her hand over his forearm.
"I wanted to know how you are doing? Can you get used to the idea of us knowing?"
"The realization slowly dawns on me that I will have to come up with fewer miserable excuses. And that I can enjoy my moments of rest in a less limited way."
By the time it was nearly siesta, Diego and Felipe had gone to the office of the Guardian. Mendoza entered the tavern. He looked around the room, smiled cheerfully, took his helmet under his arm and walked to the table where don Alejandro was chatting with two friends.
After politely asking if he was allowed to disturb the dons for a moment. He was getting permission to do so, and the sergeant asked don Alejandro something.
Alejandro hesitated and said that he didn't have time to help, even had he wanted to. Mendoza looked helplessly, and after some persuading, the don gave in.
In the evening, back at the hacienda, Alejandro told his son what sergeant Mendoza had asked him.
Diego was delighted at the news.
The following morning was a peaceful market day in the small pueblo. As there had been few others only on the days when, for some reason, de Soto didn't have the guts to try and attempt to catch Zorro, was it just as peaceful.
It was almost eleven o'clock, and the de la Vega carriage entered the pueblo.
Alejandro went straight to the alcalde's office. Half an hour later, eight lancers were busy saddling their horses.
As for why the sergeant had decided today was a good day for a patrol was a mystery to them. The lancers enjoyed the quiet, pleasant existence of the past few days.
Why bother to catch Zorro when Zorro was the one catching many dangerous criminals and only made their lives easier.
And, why go to great lengths on patrols to look for impending danger. If the men who caused this danger were all neatly delivered to the cartel?
However, the lancers understood their sergeant's sudden command. Reports had to get written. And even their guts were telling them if the alcalde found out in his absence his men did little more than pass their days in the tavern, they would ever have to pay the price for it sooner or later.
So the men accepted their orders without to much murmuring.
The only regret the men did feel, was the sergeant had conceived this idea on a hot day. Their preference would have been on a time when the air was not yet full of scorching heat.
Water bottles got filled, horses packed and mounted, and the corporal led the men on patrol north of Los Angeles.
By siesta time, the office door opened. Mendoza let Alejandro out and thanked him for his time, effort, and advice.
"You're welcome, sergeant. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I long for the good old days. If only the exaggerating stories we told each other." Alejandro grinned.
Sergeant Mendoza looked longingly at the tavern. He had done more work in one morning with don Alejandro helping him than in the days before. And he felt he deserved a perfectly cooked meal in the tavern.
And bragging exaggerated tales about the hard life in the military also had an appealing prospect.
"Sergeant, let us discover what delicious meal señorita Victoria has prepared today to feed us simple souls."
Mendoza rubbed over his stomach. "Don Alejandro, you don't have to ask me twice."
Since it was market day, there was quite a bit of activity in the plaza.
Many people tried to sell their wares.
And just as many people scoured the stalls in search of the best bargains.
Suddenly there was noise coming out of the tavern.
Sergeant Mendoza, out of the habit of being a soldier, tried to gain an understanding of what was triggering the abrupt commotion. His hand was resting on the hilt of his sword.
Zorro came out of the tavern, losing his hat during his flight.
Victoria Escalante came after him armed with a broom.
"I'm sorry, Victoria. I didn't mean to imply..."
Zorro held his arms protectively over his head.
Victoria lifted her broom high into the air, and with Zorro diving in the right direction just in time, he dodged a hard blow.
"How dare you! How dare you come into my tavern and accuse me of such a dreadful thing."
Filled with hatred, Victoria looked at the masked man. Again swung her broom in his direction, and this time the hero was a fraction too slow. The broom grazed his shoulder.
"Victoria, por favor?"
Señorita Escalante was widely known for her fiery temper. Though no one ever uttered the words aloud in her presence (no one was that stupid) she had been compared to an angry bull many times.
Bystanders bumped into each other and chuckled at the sight of Victoria's fury, apparently, having turned against Zorro this time. A man, under normal circumstances, she wouldn't want to hear a bad word over and worshipped.
As Victoria lowered the broom for the fourth time and Zorro jumped nimbly to the left to dodge the blow, bets were already getting placed on what might be causing this rage.
It was obvious to bystanders that Zorro had done something unforgivable.
"Get out of my sight!" Shrieked Victoria.
Zorro refused to oppose and overpower a woman, as he often did effortlessly with the most dangerous criminals and had done in the past against the best swordsmen.
"Madre de dios." Mendoza stammered. "It's Zorro! Lancers, grab…"
Mendoza thought about it for a second.
Most of the lancers were on the much-needed patrol. He had ignored to get done in the past few days. And he also felt a pang of compassion as he watched Zorro fall to his knees, begging Victoria to forgive him for whatever it was he had done or said.
Even though the señorita had never chased him with a broom. Mendoza had met the temperament of Victoria Escalante on several occasions.
"That doesn't look well, don't you agree, sergeant?" Alejandro watched with his arms folded over his chest, laughing.
"I don't know what Zorro has done, but I'm betting my money on the señorita. What do you think?"
Zorro begging for mercy on his knees, Victoria seemed to calm down a bit.
With the end of the broom towards his chest as if it were a gun.
Zorro raised his hands in the air.
"I heard rumours. That is why I came to the pueblo to ask if any are true. I didn't intend insinuating…" Zorro ducked away, avoiding the boom coming in his direction. His words had only refuelled her anger.
"How dare you! I'm not asking what you're doing when you don't wear that mask. Perhaps you're married?! You can have ten children for all I know!"
Victoria lowered the broom slightly. Zorro was holding his legs together. The woman was definitely preparing to aim for the lower body parts. "And you know why not? Because I trusted you!" She tightened her grip on the broom again, preparing herself for another attack.
"Victoria, the truth is I uh…,"
Zorro got no further. Victoria's eyes widened. "You're married!?" The broom came at him. Zorro let himself fall forwards, and the piece of household equipment hit him on his back.
"No, no, I swear." Zorro got back up to his knees.
Out of her senses, Victoria slashed the broom around her. Zorro tried to crawl out of reach of the broom. The broom landed on his back once, twice, three times.
"Come on, sergeant, we men should support each other in this sort of affairs." Alejandro slapped the sergeant on his shoulder and approached Victoria from the back.
Alejandro came closer cautiously while Zorro tried to scramble back to his feet. Victoria lifted the broom over her head again to forcefully make it land on the man entirely dressed in black. Alejandro waited for her arms to drop the broom and grabbed Victoria from behind. "Run, Zorro!" The don yelled at the hero, whose costume by now has dust all over from crawling in the dry sand.
"Victoria, calm down, believe me, you don't want this." Alejandro almost yelled to the woman struggling in his arms.
Victoria, mad in anger, screamed and fumed. "Let go of me! Believe me, I want to do want this!"
Victoria tried to break free. Alejandro struggled to restrain the woman.
Zorro whistled shrilly, and Toronado galloped onto the plaza. He grabbed his hat off the ground.
"Go, Zorro, I hardly can hold her any longer."
Thinking that they must at least pretend to make an effort to capture the outlaw, the lancers who were still in the pueblo aimed their rifles at the black-clad man who jumped on his horse, racing out of the pueblo.
With Zorro out of reach, Alejandro dared to let go of Victoria.
Still the broom in her hand, she turned and glared at Don Alejandro, a man she usually had the greatest respect for. "Why did you do that, don Alejandro, why?" She demanded to know.
"Because it was Zorro, you were almost hitting unconscious. Do you want him to get arrested? Zorro could nor would never fight a woman! He is too noble to do so. And I thought you two had a thing together." Alejandro took a step back in fear. Victoria shifted her anger from Zorro to the don.
At that moment, Diego trotted into the pueblo on Esperanza's back.
"Do you know what he was thinking!? Do you know what he dared accused me off!?" Victoria pointed in the direction Zorro had disappeared from view, her voice squeaking.
"Zorro claimed to have heard that I spent the night with Diego the day we went to Santa Paula!" Victoria squealed so loud, no one could pretend not to have heard her.
The gathered crowd that had witnessed the fight held their breath as one.
Mendoza, watching from a safe distance, turned bright red cheeks. Don Diego turned pale, and Alejandro stuttered the words. "Oh, dear."
"Don Alejandro, why do you say oh, dear? It's no secret, don Diego and señorita Victoria did go to Santa Paula together, is it?" The sergeant looked uneasy. As if he felt caught doing something he'd done wrong. He tried to smile. "And they returned the following day. Don Diego told me they had spoken to the emissary."
Diego cleared his throat. "Correct me when I have misunderstood. But does Zorro think something might have happened between the two of us? Something that can't take the light of day?" Diego grinned uncomfortably. "Which is, of course, total nonsense."
Alejandro nodded. Victoria looked around at the crowd of people. Everyone stared at her in surprise and began to bump into each other. Words, Victoria couldn't hear, were whispered into each other's ears. Now she was the one who slowly turned pale. "Oh, dear."
Victoria faints in the arms of Diego, who had come to stand beside her.
The man looked anxiously at the crowd surrounding him. Slowly, an irreversible truth seemed to dawn on him. "Indeed, oh, dear," Diego muttered softly, waving his hand in front of Victoria's face to fan her some fresh air.
.
.