"Indeed." The black-clad man answered before one of his punches knocked the Alcalde to the ground, intentionally failing to knock him out. "Now, Mendoza, tie him up and gag him!" The black-clad man ordered indicating the official, and Mendoza reluctantly agreed. "After he's done, Don Diego, if you'd be so kind, I will have a word! Sergeant, I count on you and the remaining of your men not to disturb us. The two of us are overdue for a long conversation." The man dressed as Zorro continued and the lancer nodded while the spectators were silently looking forward to whatever their hero had in mind next.
"Now, Don Diego, pick up that sword!" The black-clad man instructed when the Sergeant finished doing as he had been asked, pointing towards the weapon Diego had earlier discarded. "You will show me how good a swordsman you truly are while answering some questions that have been bothering me during my recovery."
"I don't want to fight you, Señor Zorro!" Diego replied. "And I don't need to give you any explanation!"
"I just saved your life." The black-clad man answered. "You owe me at least that much!"
Diego seemed doubtful but consented.
The two adversaries saluted each other with just as much grace before Zorro launched. Diego made a 360-degree turn as he avoided the thrust, then attacked back.
"So… You love Victoria…" The masked man said as they each attacked and parried in turn, both proving an equally good fighting technique.
"Yes. I do. I've loved her for years, since before I left for Madrid." Diego answered.
"Why did you never court her, in that case?" The masked man inquired.
The caballero seemed to hesitate for a few moments before answering, and his adversary stopped his attacks. "Because I was certain she loved you." Diego eventually answered.
"And when did that conviction crumble?" Zorro queried as he attacked again.
"I…" Diego answered as he parried, then retreated several feet away. "I confessed my feelings to her a few days before the flood and she told me I was also in her heart."
"Let me guess! That was also around the time you were seen leaving the tavern at dawn… Why were you leaving her tavern at dawn, Señor?" Zorro inquired as he started a combined attack Diego seemed barely able to stop.
"I didn't think anyone saw me… How do you know about that?" The tall caballero replied as they continued fighting.
"I always know everything. Haven't you learned that yet?" His adversary uttered as they again pushed each other back and paused again.
"It was all my fault. What happened it's on me!" Diego confessed to everyone's astonishment. "She felt guilty after that night, especially when she thought you were dead, just a couple of days later, and she believed she couldn't even ask for your forgiveness anymore. When I fell ill around that same time, and the doctor pronounced me beyond saving, she took it as divine punishment. Perhaps it was, considering everything that happened afterwards… We were barely able to make it out alive, and only thanks to Lieutenant Ortiz."
"I see!" The masked man said as he again attacked, this time surprising Diego enough to slash his shirt with a fast thrust. "What I don't understand is why had she gone to Monterey if she loved you?"
"Because she believed I was dying and… well, there were consequences of that night we had spent together. She needed a father for her child, and she knew nobody would have believed her if she said it was mine, since nobody yet knew that we were lovers." Diego explained as he was given a short break before another attack caused another tear in his shirt.
"Did you marry her?" The black-clad man inquired as he sent Diego's sword flying, and pointed his own at his throat.
"Yes. After she received an annulment for her marriage to Juan, who had agreed to help her after finding out she was pregnant, I insisted on us getting married. You may kill me, if that's what you want, but it will not change the fact that Victoria is now a De la Vega." Diego replied nervously.
Seemingly satisfied, the masked man lowered his sword. "You're quite the adversary, Don Diego!" He complimented. "You really shouldn't hide those skills of yours! Who knows, perhaps one day we might be fighting together, rather than against each other."
"Thank you, Señor Zorro… But it was you who won." Diego answered, taking a hand to his neck as if to confirm that he hadn't been injured.
"On the contrary. It's you the one who won, Don Diego. You have Victoria. I've known for a while you were considering her as more than just a close friend, but I didn't believe you had a chance against me. She likes strong men and you were supposed to be weak and unskilled with the sword, yet turned out to be one of the best adversaries I have ever faced. I guess I shouldn't have underestimated you.
"Don't underestimate me, either! Just because she is yours, doesn't mean I'll suddenly stop caring for or defend Victoria. Make her happy and keep her safe, or the next time we fight each other, I will not just point my sword at you, but make sure to leave my mark on your bare skin! Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes. Quite clear!" The caballero told him.
The masked man, seemingly satisfied, whistled for Tornado and made his way out of the pueblo riding the black stallion, only stopping at the gates to get the horse to rear as he saluted the pueblo.
Diego watched him leave, then turned towards the Sergeant, who hurried to untie De Soto.
"So… I guess congratulations are in order…" De Soto uttered with some amusement as soon as his gag came off. "Although, I admit, Diego, I wouldn't have expected you to leave a woman pregnant before marrying her!"
"Yes… My father wasn't very thrilled when he found out, either. But it is what it is, and Victoria is my wife now. Had I not gotten ill, I would have married her much sooner," he replied, seemingly embarrassed. "But, then, things don't always work out as one would like them to."
Seeing how he had been, once again, proven wrong, De Soto had no choice but to release the other prisoners, and Mendoza was more than happy to hurriedly get them out.
Felipe ran to embrace his father, as did the others, tapping him on the shoulder as they listened in disbelief to the story of how Diego had been saved by and then dueled the most renowned swordsman in California.
