In the shock of the moment, nobody noticed the Sergeant gave a shout and suddenly brought his right hand to his chest, holding it with his left as if trying to alleviate its pain.

"Step away!" Victoria ordered the Sergeant, pointing at him the double-barrel pistol in her hands which still held one bullet.

A few moments later, after pressing his lips to Zafira's for what he was certain would be the last time, Juan reached for the Sergeant's gun, which was lying on the ground, and pointed it at the man.

"Juan… Don't!" Diego asked as he was still trying to figure out what had happened.

"He killed her! She was good… She was a good and brave woman and deserved better than an execution!" Juan said, the gun in his hand pointed at the Sergeant as tears were falling down his cheeks.

"Juan?" A confused woman's voice asked.

Turning to look at the young widow still in his arms, the Lieutenant stopped breathing for a few seconds at noticing she was looking straight at him, no sign of pain in her eyes. His pistol fell as he squeezed the young woman to his chest, his mouth slightly trembling from both fright and relief, just as several other people, having heard the shot, came to see what was going on.

"I thought you had died!" Juan said, tears in his eyes, as he lowered the pistol.

"I thought I did, as well." She said looking around inquisitively. "I guess I just fainted." She then muttered, slightly embarrassed. "What happened?"

"Victoria saved you," Diego told her as he and the taverness neared them. "It's lucky you have such perfect aim." He then complimented the woman he loved.

"No luck involved, Señor. I just had a very good teacher!" She replied with a suggestive smile.

"Zafira?" Luciano asked at seeing how intimate she seemed with Juan. "He's the enemy!"

"No, he's not. He tried to save me." She answered, looking lovingly at the officer.

"Probably just one more of his tricks." Luciano pointed out.

"No… I'm done doing that." Juan uttered. "I was wrong. In so many ways. I just couldn't see it before now."

"You are the Governor's man!" One of the rebels accused him. "Why should we trust you have suddenly changed your mind after just a few hours earlier you tried to lead us all to our death?"

"I know what I did and I know you have no reason to trust me now. But… The Governor tried to have the woman I love killed, and do the same to the one I married, after promising to grant her a full pardon!" Juan shouted back. "I am a loyal man yet I see now that my loyalty was misplaced and misused."

"The woman you love…" Diego repeated his words with a questioning smile.

Juan just realized what he had said and turned towards Zafira. "Yes… However unbelievable it seems, I love her." He told the caballero while looking into her eyes. "I love her and would do anything to know she's safe, just as I'd do anything to know Victoria is safe."

"Even help us defeat the Governor?" Diego tested him.

Juan only slightly hesitated but what he had said was true for all he was concerned. After all, how much loyalty did he owe to the man who had ordered the death of the two women who meant everything to him?

So, after one more glance at Zafira and a kiss on her forehead, he turned towards Diego and nodded, a determined look in his eyes.

ZZZ

The Governor watched proudly as the troops led by Lieutenant Ortiz returned bringing the dead rebels in five wagons, all filled with their bodies, lying face-down.

The two women he had sent the Sergeant to kill were both on the wagons from what he could see, right on top of the other bodies, as was the Sergeant, the Captain and several other of his men.

"It's a shame, since they were good, orders-obeying men, but sometimes it just can't be avoided," he told himself, taking a sip of wine in their honor.

Diego de la Vega and his father were riding side-by-side near the Lieutenant, and the Governor frowned for a moment. He didn't particularly like the Los Angelinos and had hoped that they, too, would perish in the fight, especially since he didn't believe Diego was innocent as Juan had claimed him to be, and Don Alejandro was a rather annoying individual in his book.

At the Governor's orders, the presidio's entrance opened to let the troops in, and the high-ranking official saluted them from the balcony, then headed towards his study.

Meanwhile, the lancers who had stayed back to guard the garrison there, a total of 10 soldiers, were ordered by Lieutenant Ortiz to accompany some of the new arrivals to the canteen, while the others were taking care of the dead bodies.

Once in the canteen, the newly-arrived soldiers, whom everyone believed to be part of the contingents arrived from San Francisco and San Jose, pointed their swords at the Monterey lancers, informing them that they were now prisoners of the Mexican Empire. There wasn't even a fight since the men were all unarmed.

The sentries were, in turn, taken by surprise, and never had the time to sound the alarm, soon finding themselves in jail cells.

ZZZ

"Lieutenant! What happened? I was informed that the rebels had turned back, then you wrote that they had been defeated. I must confess, when you came to me with that crazy plan of freeing the rebels and posing as one of them to find out how many they were and when they were going to attack, I thought you mad. But I'm glad you convinced me to see reason. Now you must tell me how it all went!" The Governor uttered as Juan, Diego and Don Alejandro entered his office.

"I will, Your Excellency." He answered. "But, before I do, you did promise me two pardons." Juan pointed out.

"Well… yes. However, you'll only need one from what I saw…" The man uttered as he handed him the pardon for Diego. "I'm sorry for your loss Lieutenant, but I'm certain it's better this way. I even managed to find you a more suitable wife in the meantime, you'll see! As soon as you agree to the match, the padre will be ready to officiate the ceremony."

"Widowers can't just re-marry after a few days." Don Alejandro pointed out.

"No, but he's no widower. Juan here asked for an annulment just before leaving on his mission, and I made sure it was granted with maximum urgency. He's been a free man for several days now." The Governor informed them, more than a little proud of himself.

"Still, I'd like that pardon for Victoria." The lancer insisted.

The Governor frowned, then conceded. Sitting at his desk, he started writing. "Are you happy now?" He asked a few minutes later, handing him the paper.

Juan took it and read it, then gave it to Diego together with the other pardon that cleared him of all charges brought against him by the Spanish Crown.

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Juan uttered. "Now, I'll need you to sign a document decreeing Spain's renouncement of all its territorial claims over California, and then I'll have to place you under arrest. As per Don Diego's request, your life will be spared, but you will be taken to jail with the others, and will embark on the next ship for Spain." He then calmly informed him.

"Hahaha! You found your sense of humor, I see…" The governor stated but found his man was rather serious, as were the two men with him. "What are you talking about, Lieutenant?" He then asked dumbfounded.

"I hereby inform you that Alta California has been claimed by The Mexican Empire. Monterey is now controlled by men faithful to the new regime, all the lancers are in prison, and you are under arrest." Juan explained.

"In prison? But… But I just saw you bringing back the rebels' bodies." The high-ranking official stuttered to say.

"The bodies you saw were your lancers. They aren't dead, though. Merely asleep thanks to one of my concoctions. They'll all wake up by tomorrow morning with nothing more than a slight headache." Diego explained. "The true rebels are the people dressed as lancers."

"Also, I'm sure you'll be happy to know that Victoria is alive and well… and I indeed found a future wife, even though I'll have to wait the proper period for her to be able to remarry. She's a widow, you see." Juan continued looking hatefully at his former superior.