Chapter 11

The nervousness Victoria had felt until this moment vanished instantly when she noticed how fast Diego turned pale. It was clear that he hadn't expected she had discovered his second identity and was at a loss for words and how to react.
Victoria slowly whispered. "I'd really like to know if you ever seriously considered telling me?"

His voice sounded timid and cautious. "You found out?"

Victoria nodded.

Diego had trouble breathing, his heart pounding in his throat. Victoria knew he was Zorro. How had Victoria found out? And for how long had she know? What did this mean for their future? Did they even had one? Had his father told her despite Diego letting him swear secrecy? Don Alejandro found out the truth about Zorro after Risendo's death.

Victoria crossed her arms. The distance between the canapé on which she sat and the armchair on which he himself had taken a seat felt immense. Diego had an inner struggle going on. He searched her face, trying to find out what was on her mind. Her face betrayed nothing. Victoria seemed outwardly calm and composed. Diego knew her well enough to know that this could be a sham, and she could erupt into a spewing volcano at any second.

Weighing every word Diego uttered. "Victoria, please believe me. There hasn't a day gone by that I didn't want to tell you."

Victoria uttered, accusing. "Then why have you never even tried."

Diego bowed his head. He had tried several times. Victoria had missed all hints he ever gave her.

The long silence got broken by Victoria. "You did try, didn't you?"

"Countless times," Diego responded, deeply emotional. He sighed, ruffling his hand through his hair. "And I backed out just as often. I told myself I did it for your safety. That was a lie. To be honest. It was mostly my fear of your rejection. Victoria, do you think you can forgive me? Do you think you can love the man behind the mask? You said you could."
Diego got up. At over six feet tall, he towered over her. Beside the canapé, he sank to his knees. Their eyes meet at the same level.

Victoria folded her fingers together. Her hands were white. "I don't know. It's not easy to discover that someone you care about and trust has lied to you for years. And the man I thought loved me deliberately didn't tell me. I always thought Zorro was a stranger to me." Victoria tried to explain herself. "That I never met Zorro without a mask. How can I trust his feelings are sincere?"

Victoria had not a shred of anger or disappointment in her voice. But Diego couldn't detect anything of joy in her face either. He held his breath.

"Diego, finding out you are Zorro..., it's something I sometimes thought…, even against all odds sometimes dared to hope. And every time, just when I started to think, it might be true. You said something or did something that made me think I was a fool for even considering such nonsense.
I...," Her voice falters for a moment. "I don't know what to think. It hurts. My best friend, one of the few men I trust unconditionally, deliberately lied to me. Have you any idea how much that hurts?"

Diego closed his eyes in agony. He wanted to tell her that she had hurt him as well. Every time she was drooling over Zorro, at the same time, rejecting Diego over and over again. She had even humiliated him in front of his father and others. It took a few seconds before he had found the strength to say. "Back in the cave, you said you did love the man behind the mask. Wasn't that the reason you said yes to my proposal?" Argued Diego as a reminder. He had been clinging to these hopeful words for months.

As Diego had no longer tried to hide his inner feelings, Victoria had seen the pain in his expression.
" I have hurt you." As she said that, some of the things she had said came to her mind. "II made some awful remarks." Her voice faltered to silence.

Diego wanted to lie, to spare Victoria the cruel truth.

The hesitant nod with which Diego answered was almost invisible but sufficient for Victoria.
"Was it about the same amount of times as I've wondered who Zorro could be?"

"I guess."

Tears began to fill her eyes. "Diego, I'm sorry."
Victoria let herself slide off the canapé next to Diego.

Diego changed his sitting position and now leaned his back against the seat of the canapé. His arm slipped around her waist. Firm enough to let her know he had no intention of ever letting go of her.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't realize I did hurt you." Victoria stammered apologetically. "It was just when something seems too good to be true, then it usually is. "
Tears flowed profusely down her cheeks.
"I didn't want to believe that you could be Zorro. Because if you were, it would mean...," Her voice broke. Victoria looked at Diego. Only now did she see all the love he had so carefully hidden. "Then all my dreams would come true."
Victoria averted her gaze. It was just too intense to look at Diego. Instead, she stared at her hands.

To Diego, her voice was like a spring breeze, so soft.

"I think I've loved you for a long time. You've always been in my thoughts more often than I wanted. If I wasn't thinking about Zorro, I was thinking about Diego."

"Victoria, are you willing to give me a chance to make it up to you."

"How are you planning on doing that?"

"Anything you want. As long as you're willing to try to forgive me." Diego's voice was hoarse with emotion. "Victoria, if you truly meant it when you said you loved Zorro, would you give Diego a chance to prove how much he cares about you?"

Victoria folded her hands around his cheeks. She bowed to him and kissed him.

"Victoria, does this mean there is a chance for us?" Diego asked a moment later as he held his breath in anticipation. Then there it was. Her radiant smile managed to make him feel a warm glow coursing through his body over and over again.

"That," Victoria said with a broad smile and eyes filled with love. "Is more than a certain probability."
Victoria threw herself in his arms, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and gave him an all-consuming, all-meaningful, all-singing, intense kiss.

A little later, Victoria sat curled up against him, she said. "Where is your cave, by the way? I think it somehow leads out into the hacienda. Otherwise, back then, you wouldn't have been able to arrange a tray of food so quickly."

Diego pointed to the fireplace. "Behind the fireplace is a secret passage. My grandfather built it as an escape route in case Indians might attack."

"Does your father know who you are?" Victoria wanted to know.

Diego nodded. "He saw me fight Gilberto. After that, there was no denying it. Before that, he had no idea."

"Hmm," He heard the disapproval in the sound.

"And Felipe?" Victoria continued asking questions that had been on her mind for some time.

"Felipe has always been my most loyal ally besides Toronado."
Diego wanted to ask the question that had been burning on his lips for over an hour. "Since when do you know?"

"Since last week in the ravine. Zorro mumbled something unintelligible. Walking back to my horse..., I suddenly became certain he had said..., eh..., I mean you..., Zorro had said, father. I knew you were going..., eh. I mean, Zorro, was going to the hacienda. The only person don Alejandro calls father is you. And Zorro never arrived at the hacienda. Diego did." Victoria sighed. "And so it could only mean one thing."

Both had more questions they wanted to ask, in need of answers. All had to do with Zorro.

"Victoria, I will happily answer all your questions at any time you choose. First,"
His head came closer to hers. Victoria was more than willing to hold all her questions for some other time when it meant she could be in the arms and kiss the man she loved.

The end.

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