Author's Notes: I will be on vacation this coming week. So my update will be sporadic or not for awhile. Don't fret, I'm not giving up on this fic. I just need my mind to get some more inspiration and crazy ideas first! Take care everyone!
Translation Notes: niños: children; loco mendigo: crazy beggar
Glaring at the dark red stain on his white collared shirt, Grisham's attempt at cleaning his uniform was in vain. The sticky animal blood wouldn't budge and after some dabs with a wet cloth, the stain became bigger. The blood from the bag that was secretly hidden in his breast pocket during his fight with the Queen of Swords must have seeped through the protective lining. During the entire fight, he was jumping around and hoping against hope she didn't get to planned target, but her ability was superior and predictably her sword entered the soft spot of the chest right into the heart. Montoya and Grisham arranged it so that they made sure she thought that Grisham was really dead.
The two men wanted to taint the queen's image. She was really the people's champion and most of the poor farmers and townsfolk secretly admired her courage to stand up against the colonel's dictorial power. Montoya wanted to paint a clearer picture of a bandit turned soldier murderer so he can trust that the dons and the rancheros would agree to use more resources for him to capture the queen. This means more money and more access to weapons he wanted since stepping into the seat of power. Christmas for certain, was coming early for the scheming colonel of Santa Helena.
He was starting to get really annoyed at the way Montoya's treating him lately. Ever since his supposed funeral ceremony, the colonel had taken to himself to order every chore and task for the captain to carry out. It is as if Grisham was already dead!
"Stupid….sonofa…asshole…what the fuck…!" He glared at his ruined shirt some more and tossed it aside. "I'm his friggin' slave. I need to get out of here."
Glancing around at his temporary living situation, he again wondered why he agreed to partake in this plan. A small rustic shack behind the soldiers' training grounds was where they decided for him to hide and if he needed anything, only his trusted sergeants would be responsible for procuring requested items.
"This is ridiculous. I'm going crazy just sitting here…and I'm actually cleaning!" Without another thought, he stepped out of his shack and into the late afternoon. Grinning at the wide spaces around him, he happily did a little skip and ran towards the center of the town. Making sure no one notice his disguise of an old straw hat and baggy clothing, Grisham picked up an apple from a stand and munched on the delicious fruit. Turning around a corner, he dropped his apple and whipped his body back against the wall. Peeking carefully around the edge of the wall, his body stiffened at the sight of the dark beauty running across the courtyard chasing the children.
"Hey! Don't run so fast! I can't catch up!" Tessa yelled back at the two boys running just out of her reach. For the first time since Grisham's death, she was starting to smile and laugh and only because the children of the town made her happy to be able to play and not care about a thing in the world. The precious few hours with them made her remember why she wanted to be the Queen of Swords, a world safe for these beautiful niños to grow up in. She didn't accept her destiny just be her father's "avenging angel", but also a "protector angel", people needed her to provide a haven for them because Montoya wasn't doing his job.
A small smile appeared on Grisham's face. Looking at the wild beauty in her state as she laughed at the jokes made by the boys and girls, Grisham felt his heart being crushed by an overbearing conscience.
"I don't deserve someone like her. Her beautiful soul will only be stained by me. Besides, I'm already in love with the queen." His own eyes widened at the sudden admission.
"Shit!" Turning his back against the wall again, he stared absently around him. Trying to keep a steady focus on an object he finally settled on a piece of rock lying in front of him.
"I can't…no way…how in the…Holy Jesus! I wouldn't…she can't…she won't…but…I don't even know…" Partly talking to himself and partly to the rock, Grisham's mindless chatter reached the ears of the boys.
Young Roberto whispered to Tessa that he thinks there is a loco mendigo behind the building behind them. Tessa was curious as well because the voice sounded familiar and she told the children to stay where they are while she look for the source of the mysterious voice.
Grisham snapped to attention as the courtyard suddenly became quiet…it was too quiet for so many children playing. Something made them shut up or someone. Glancing back, Grisham froze at the sight of the approaching senorita. His disguise was about to be uncovered! Inching bit by bit across the back wall, he made his way towards the adjacent side just in time that Tessa turned her head around the back of the building. A confused Tessa and a little frustrated at her failure to locate the voice made her stay there looking around for any clues of the disappeared man.
"Please go. Just leave, Tessa." Grisham whispered. His pleading was answered as Tessa carefully walked away from him.
"That was too close." He announced to his bookshelf the moment he entered his shack. Slumping into his chair, he started to doodle to rid of the nervous energy he accumulated during the whole ordeal.
"If anyone found out that I'm still alive. Montoya's gonna kill me!"
Staring oddly at his drawing, he realized that he had drawn a portrait of Tessa Alvarado. He caressed the eyes that he sketched only to be smudged by his charcoal-stained hands. Cursing to himself, he tried to salvage the picture, but the eyes were gone…they couldn't be fixed. Taking a deep breath, he tried to draw a lace covering her face like how he remembered at Enrique funeral during the fever epidemic. Before he could finish the whole shawl, his awkward sketch revealed a half-laced covered portrait of Tessa. However, it wasn't Tessa any more, the pictured was morphed into an image of the Queen of Swords. Staring in shock, Grisham grumbled that he was getting a little too girl-crazy for his own taste. What will Vera say about that? Not that she cared, much, ever since his death, Grisham found out she found solace in Don Hildago's arms. He still doesn't understand what she sees in him. Besides the riches and the access of a safe home and loving husband, Don Gaspar Hidalgo couldn't possibly compete with Captain Marcus Grisham.
"Oh, who am I kidding. This enforced solitude is driving me….!" Before he could finish his thought, Montoya slammed open the poorly hinged door.
"Grisham! The second part of our plan is tonight! Get ready or else I'm making you clean my barn for the next month!"
Standing up quickly and saluted at his commanding officer, Grisham replied with equal enthusiasm.
"We're depending on your acting captain, we can't let the queen suspect anything's amiss."