I don't own any of the characters.

Dii etiam non intelligentes sunt et simul in amore.

Chapter 1

At his leisure, Diego de la Vega rode into Los Angeles. He was this early on purpose. He had been too busy with his work as Zorro the past few days. There was too little time to concentrate on his work as editor of the local newspaper. The circulation was limited, and the paper appeared only twice a month. Still, the newspaper required hours of work.
Just as his alter ego demanded part of his time.
It seemed that Zorro was always needed somewhere. Last week, the alcalde had decided to make another attempt to buy up the property from farmers at ridiculously low prices. The alcalde claimed he was helping the farmers to pay their increased taxes. Zorro had started talking to the farmers. Of the five families given such an offer, three wanted to try their luck elsewhere.
They were frightened by the alcalde and willing to give up their dream of a new life. Zorro had helped those families by arguing with de Soto to offer these people at least a fair price for their belongings. The possessions the families could not possibly take with them on their journey to a better life got sold in an auction.
The remaining two families had wanted to stay. Again, Zorro had come to the rescue and made sure the alcalde rethought his offer, reducing their taxes for the following year.

Diego tied his mare to one of the beams in front of the tavern and walked into the establishment.
He was looking forward to seeing the woman so dear to him.

The door was already open, but the tavern was still empty. It was even in the early hour, no surprise. It was one of the reasons Diego had risen so early and arrived in the pueblo. He was hoping to have a few minutes of Victoria's undivided attention.
The noises coming from the kitchen informed Diego where the owner could get found. Since he was a regular customer and a good friend, Diego knew that Victoria would not object if he greeted her there and asked her for a cup of coffee.

Diego pushed aside the colourful curtain. And, as always, when she came into his view, he had to remind himself to keep breathing, and he had to get his heart rate under control first. Victoria was standing with her back to him, kneading dough. No doubt for some bread or one of her exquisite pies.

To buy some time and make his presence known, Diego cleared his throat. She had that effect on him. Victoria was totally unaware of how he was affected by her beauty. Only when he visited her, dressed as Zorro, did she respond slightly the same as he felt every time he was near her.

Victoria stiffened, looked over her shoulder and relaxed. "Oh, it's you. Buanos dias, don Diego."

His knees buckled. Why did it feel like the attraction he felt for Victoria was getting stronger by the day? "Buanos Días, señorita Victoria." Diego made an elegant bow. He just love rolling her name over his tongue. "How are you?"

Victoria laughed and continued working on her dough. "I'd better ask you that."

Diego raised his eyebrow. "I am fine. Why do you ask?"

"I'm not used to seeing you this early in the morning." She uttered.
Victoria rolled the dough into a ball, threw it on the working bench a couple of times, mounded it into a large bowl, and placed a cloth over it.
She wiped her hands on her apron, "I can do with a cup of coffee. Do you want some?" pointing to the large red iron kettle on the stove.

"Gladly."

Victoria took two cups off a shelf and poured them fully. In one, she added another generous splash of milk.

"Victoria, you have...," Diego pointed his finger at her cheek where there was some flour.

Rather than draw her attention to it, he would have preferred to stand only inches away from her and gently wipe the flour off her cheek. Diego wished he dared to take her face in his hands and kiss her.
Unfortunately, at the moment, he was don Diego. And don Diego would never do something that scandalous. Had he made his appearance as Zorro, he was sure Victoria would not have objected.

"Oh," Harsh she rubbed over the cheek. "Is it gone?"

Distracted, Diego nodded as he thought, sadly, yes.

Victoria took the cups from her workbench and walked to the main room.
Diego helpfully held aside the colourful curtain to make it as easy as possible for her.
Victoria set the cups down on the table she knew was the don's favourite spot. What she didn't know was it was only his favourite because, from there, Diego could overlook the entire tavern. The table was the only one from where you could catch a glimpse of the kitchen and by so of Victoria when she was busy in the kitchen.

"Diego, would you ask your father whether he could have oranges brought to me today or tomorrow? All the hot weather we had the last couple of days makes people drink a lot, and I'm almost run out of them."
Victoria seated herself on the chair across his.

"Of course, Victoria. I will personally make sure you have them today."
Diego couldn't believe his luck. Victoria had decided to sit and drink with him. Most of the time, she was so busy Victoria only had time for a quick chat.
He took a sip of his coffee.

A familiar voice entered the tavern, "Buenos Dias, señorita Victoria." sounded like a cheerful greeting.

And his luck had run out.

Sergeant Mendoza, closely followed by Corporal Ramirez, had entered the tavern.
"Don Diego, buanos dias." The sergeant greeted him with a friendly nod.

"Buanos Días. Sergeant, you seem in a good mood." Victoria greeted her guest as Diego raised his hand and waved.

"Oh, si, si. The alcalde announced a salary raise, didn't he, Ramirez?" Mendoza gestured to the corporal standing behind him.

Diego placed his cup back on the table and said. "That's something to be cheerful about."

Victoria noting. "Maybe,when it means from now on, the royal lancers can start paying their bills."

The sergeant paled slightly and began to falter. "Yeah, um, look, eeh, señorita. It's just a small salary increase. Really tiny." He held his thumb and forefinger a bit apart.

"Very, very tiny." Replied the corporal.

"Then I think I have to change the portions of my meals for the lancers to very, very tiny. I can't run this tavern on unpaid bills. What do you think, don Diego?"

The sergeant looked crestfallen at the idea.

Diego realized that Victoria was fooling around with the sergeant, famous for his appetite.
"It was Emperor Napoleon who years ago spoke the legendary words, Une armée marche son estomac. An army marches on its stomach." He translated quickly at the sight of a few raised eyebrows.

Mendoza began to nod. "I can only agree with that. That emperor sounds like a wise man."

Diego mumbled, "Well, the opinions are divided on that statement."

Victoria ceded her seat to the sergeant.
"And how is the alcalde going to pay for this raise? By giving the people even more taxes?"

The sergeant fumbled with the collar of his uniform. "Well, he says the order has come from Monterey, so he doesn't have much choice."

"When it means my bills get paid, I am pleased to hear of it for the moment,"
Victoria asked kindly. "Sergeant, why don't you have my coffee? I haven't touched it yet. I'll get some new ones. Corporal, would you like some?"
Without waiting for an answer, Victoria disappeared to the kitchen.

When she returned, Ramirez had disappeared, and don Diego and the sergeant were chatting.

"Where is Ramirez?" She wanted to know.

"That one I sent to the alcalde to report."

"Oh, for what reason? Has Zorro been seen last night?"
Victoria always wanted to know all about the masked hero who kept the grounds around Los Angeles free of the most dangerous criminals and other somewhat harmless men.

Mendoza uttering. "No, señorita. Not this time. My men and I had the feeling we get constantly watched." The sergeant lowered his voice before adding. "You know, at times, I get the idea Zorro can make himself invisible."

Diego laughed. "Zorro can do a lot. But I doubt or even he able of such a thing, if not impossible."

Mendoza answered using the mystical voice he mostly used when he told exaggerating stories to newly-arrived lancers. "Oh, don Diego, you think? Tell me. How can you explain Zorro always knows everything that's going on in the pueblo?
He can appear out of nowhere and resolve into thin air even faster. How do you explain that even my best-trained men don't see him when he sneaks through the pueblo at night."

"That is easy," Victoria muttered. "Your so-called well-trained men are all blind and stupid. Zorro is ten times more clever than you all combined."

Mendoza seemed a little upset. It didn't stop him from continuing. He kept continueing asking his questions at don Diego. "How do you explain that even the alcalde can't follow his tracks? De Soto is a smart man."

Diego pretended to think hard. Innocently, he shrugged and muttered. "I really have no idea, sergeant."

Victoria sat up a little straighter, never too shy to praise her hero to the skies.
"The alcalde smart?" She chuckled. "In comparison to a donkey, he might be. Zorro is the most amazing, fantastic, resourceful, inventive, fastest, most agile man ever to walk the earth.
And his horse, in addition to being impressive, is also exceptionally fast and intelligent. And it is because you're a bunch of suckers and the alcalde is so stupid that even don Diego would beat him at a tracking competition."

Mendoza laughed hard.

Diego rolled the coffee cup between his hands and uttered.
"Well, Victoria. You know that isn't true. We all know how bad I am at tracking. I am sure de Soto can beat me in tracking and countless other talents he has, and I don't."

"Diego," Victoria slapped the table with her hand, she seemed annoyed. "Will you, please,just this once, stop bringing yourself down like you do every time. Indeed, you are no Zorro! It doesn't change you are a nice man. And you do have some talents!"

"Like what?" Asked the sergeant curiously, bending forward to have a better look at Diego.

"Yes, Victoria, like what?" Amused, Diego watched Victoria and noticed charming blushes appear on her cheeks.
As eager as she was to praise Zorro at every opportunity. Over the years, Victoria had also taken many chances to point out his shortcomings. Sometimes he hated her harsh words as much as he felt the need to encourage her to insult him.

"Well, um, you're a loyal friend. And, um..., you're doing an excellent job as editor of the paper." Victoria racked her brain. It wasn't easy coming up with compliments to give the man who managed to stumble over his own feet half the time.
"And..." Victoria stuttered. Suddenly, something came to mind. It was an event happening a few years ago. One of the rare times Zorro hadn't shown up on time, and Diego had been the one saving the day.
"And both your father and the sergeant and I owe our lives to you."

Diego and Mendoza both looked at her in surprise.

"Don't you remember? I am talking about that time that idiot tried to blow up my tavern with all of us in it. You kicked against the table, causing a bottle of wine to fall over and extinguish the fuse."

Now even the sergeant remembered. "Oh, si. Don Diego, that was clever indeed. I don't even think Zorro would have done better."

Diego shrugged his shoulders a little uncomfortably. "It was just a stroke of luck. I remember afterwards that I could barely walk for a week because I sprained a muscle in my upper leg."

Victoria rolled her eyes irritably. "Well, in the end, only the outcome counts. And that was we all survived. I do agree had Zorro known, in time, he would never give Murrieta the chance to capture us in the first place."

"This confirms my superstition. Not even Zorro always knows everything and can do all." Diego raised his cup of coffee in the air before taking another sip. The subject had changed from his heroic deed to Zorro. As expected, Victoria braced herself to stand up for her hero.

"Of course, Zorro can't always do everything! He does what he can, and that's more than enough. Everything he does do is terrific and helpful."

"After all, he's only human!" Replied Mendoza.

Amused, Diego wondered if either of them realized they were contradicting themselves.
He took three pesos out of his pocket and placed them on the table.
"Also for the sergeant."

Victoria felt like slapping the smug grin on the young don's face. Don Diego never seemed to want to acknowledge all the unbelievable things Zorro did.
She was known for her thoughtful comments and fiery nature, and before she knew it, Victoria blurted out.
"Want to bet on it?"

Diego looked at her in surprise. "Bet? What do you mean?"

Victoria said. "I don't need to prove Zorro is capable of incredible things. He has done those countless times. I will prove he is quicker and more knowledgeable about things going on in the pueblo than we all believe possible."

Diego pondered, shrugging his shoulders as if he didn't care.
"How did you envision that?"

Victoria bit her lip.
For as long as she could remember, her father told her she shouldn't always act so impulsively.
A bet? From where did she get the idea?
She cleared her throat to inform don Diego that she hadn't meant it that way. Yet something else came out of her mouth.
"I bet Zorro will hear about it within six hours when I get the word out someone urgently needs his help."

"Is it really?"
Diego stood nonchalantly with folded arms leaning against a beam.

"Yes," she uttered confidently.

"Prove it."

"What?"

"Just prove it. Everyone knows Zorro is coming for you, so it must be someone else needing him. You spread the rumour someone wants to see him tonight. When that person gets visited by Zorro before midnight, I admit he is indeed aware of everything happening in the pueblo at lightning speed."

Mendoza was listening interestedly to the exchange of words.

Victoria started backtracking. "Yes, but...,"

Diego interrupted her. "Zorro knows everything, you say. There are only three of us here at the moment. So this is your chance to prove your point.

Diego had something challenging in his voice which made Victoria straighten her back and suddenly determined to take the bet and win.
"Fine! After siesta, I will spread the rumour the padre wishes to speak to Zorro about something important. And I bet Zorro will come to the church before midnight to ask what the padre needs him for."

Diego nodded. "Then I bet Zorro can't know about everything right away, and it takes longer for him to hear."
Diego didn't know what annoyed him the most at the moment. The blind trust Victoria seemed to have in his alter ego. Or that she was so careless about his safety. She expected Zorro to put his life on the line for a stupid bet. It was true Mendoza was not the smartest lancer, nor was he a threat. He was still a lancer and he did listen in as the bet was made and could inform his superior Zorro was to visit the padre before midnight.
And so the don said. "It does surprise me that you are so easy on Zorro's life. Surely, you realize every time Zorro rides can be his last. Especially when the alcalde knows where and when Zorro will make his appearance."

Victoria paled. She hadn't thought of that. It always seemed to take Zorro hardly any effort to escape the soldiers.

Mendoza waved away don Diego's argument. "Don't worry, señorita. I'll take the night shift myself with privat Sanchez. He always falls asleep when standing guard."

"Oh, will you do that? Gracias, Mendoza." Crowed Victoria.

"Da nada. And what're the stakes." Mendoza was curious to hear.

"Stakes?" Victoria asked.

Diego uttered. "In a bet, it's common for there to be a stake. It could be money or...,"

"I know that!" Victoria bit off Diego before he could give a tell-all explanation of the betting phenomenon.
"When I win...," She started to grin as the most excellent idea came to her. "Then you have to help out at the tavern for an entire day. And I mean from the early morning until late at night. You have to do things such as serve customers and do all I request. " Victoria was proud of herself. It was a bet she couldn't lose, and it would introduce Diego de la Vega, the laziest man in the pueblo, to a lesson on how ordinary people had to work hard.

Diego gave it some thought before he said.
"Agreed. What do I get when I win?"

Victoria knowing Diego couldn't resist her offer, triumphantly suggested. "A flan."

Mendoza was already licking his lips and rubbing his stomach at the thought of the treat.

To her surprise, Diego protested the offer of her making him his favourite food. "I hardly think that is fair. Should I lose, I have to work an entire day. How long does it take you to bake a flan?"

Victoria sighed. She reacted as a mother would while seaching for a compromise to a spoiled child. "Then what do you propose?"

"That you be my personal servant for a whole day."

"What!" Victoria her eyes spat fire.
Surely Diego wasn't serious. Did he actually expect her to listen to him like she was his dog for a whole day?

Diego reasoned. "It seems only fair to me. One day of my time. Against one day of yours. The loser does whatever the winner asks. All within good reason, of course." Diego stated in a soothing voice.

Victoria opened her mouth to give Diego a piece of her mind. When she changed her mind.
It didn't matter what Diego could win because he wouldn't win. Victoria expected it to be a busy day. So plenty of customers to tell her announcement. And Zorro was always aware of everything going on in the pueblo. The temptation of teaching the young don a lesson won over the voice in her head telling her she could lose.
And perhaps, Victoria's mind wandered of, when she was lucky, Zorro had some spare time to visit her.

And so, Victoria uttered, "Agreed." shaking Diego's hand to seal their agreement.

.

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