Chapter 8 Wedding

The alcalde couldn't hide his malicious glee. Today Zorro would be crushed when his love was forced to marry someone else. His revenge was surpassed by the fact that it was not only Zorro who would be crushed today, but also his rebellious lover. By spreading the gossip he had made her accept the proposal of the man who was the least like her idealized Zorro. And the complacent Don Diego had to give up his bachelorhood for a fiery woman who would rule his life. Yes, today would be perfect.

The church was filled to the last seat as the whole pueblo wanted to witness the wedding of Zorro's former love to most notorious bachelor of Los Angeles. Many of them expected an interruption of the wedding either by the appearance of Zorro or Victoria's refusal to wed.

Diego was waiting nervously in front of the altar while his father was leading Victoria down the aisle. In his pocket he held his mother's ring that he had given Victoria when he had proposed to her as Zorro. When he had broken up with her, she had kept it. Only before the wedding had he been able to sneak into Victoria's room and get it back. It would be her wedding ring if only she agreed to it.

The padre had begun his long winded speech about matrimony knowing well that only half of it reached the ears of the nervous couple in front of him. Then he asked for the rings to be placed on the red velvet pillow Felipe, Diego's best man, was holding.

"Your mother's ring, Diego" Victoria heard Alejandro say lowly that it was only heard by those at the altar. "You had it while I have been searching for it."

Then the padre asked Diego if he was willing to marry Victoria and Diego had said his 'I do' and then he addressed Victoria, but she didn't hear his words.

She only stared at the ring on the pillow with the emerald in the center surrounded by diamonds. During many hours she had put the ring on her finger and dreamed of a future with Zorro. There was no mistake that this was the same ring. 'His mother's ring', Zorro had said when he gave it to her and now Alejandro had said the same to Diego. Did it mean that Diego was Zorro? But that couldn't be, could it? She would have recognized him, wouldn't she? She stared at Diego who stood expectantly beside her. For the first time she noticed that Diego's suit wasn't a dark blue but black giving his skin the same shade as Zorro's and Diego's eyes were the same blue. She needn't imagine a mask in front of them to see the love in them. How could she have been so blind?

She would have fainted if Diego hadn't supported her. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings again and the padre who repeated his question for the fourth time. The silence in the church became more and more palpable while everyone was waiting for her answer, but she only looked in Diego's eyes.

"You!" she whispered. The shock made her cry.

"Please answer the question, will you marry me?" Diego returned in a low voice that was at the same time much deeper than usual. But she needed no more evidence to know who he was.

When she had composed herself a little, she turned to the padre and through tears she answered with a clearly audible voice:

"I do."

She felt Diego breath a deep sigh of relief beside her, the tension in the church was broken and murmur was heard through the rows.

"You may kiss the bride now, Diego," the padre announced, after he had declared them husband and wife.

She wanted to throw herself into one of full-hearted kisses they had shared before, but he stopped her and kept the kiss short and tender while he wiped her tears away. Still crying she left the church supported by Diego's arm around her waist.

"Don't start any more rumors, Victoria, keep up the show," he whispered in a low voice.

"You'll have a lot to explain, Diego," she reminded him when he was grinning at her.

As soon as they arrived at the hacienda the newly wed excused themselves from the reception party for a private moment in the garden.

The alcalde who was too eager to see his revenge taking fruit was more than satisfied. This was even better than he had anticipated. Victoria had waited in vain for her lover to interrupt the wedding and now, when it was too late, she was crying for her lost love. He turned around laughing to himself and he never thought there could be another explantion.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Victoria sobbed. "I had a right to know!" She was still recovering from shock. "And why have you been so distant to me?"

"I'm sorry, Victoria. First I wanted to protect you and then I was afraid you would reject me. But I couldn't keep away from you and then I didn't know what to do when all I wanted to do was to kiss you. I love you, Victoria." The whole time he had been caressing her cheek and stroking her back, feeling her body in their close embrace.

"Show me." She clung her arms around his neck while she opened her lips for the passionate kiss she was longing for.

"Forgive me?"

"Always, but you will need a lifetime to make up for it." She flung herself into his embrace. "I love you, Diego."

"I'm looking forward to it, now that I have you as my wife." He grinned before he intensified their kisses.

"Victoria, Diego, where are you? Your guests are waiting!" They heard Alejandro calling for them.

"Does he know?" Victoria whispered.

"No, but I will tell him tomorrow."

"Why not today?"

"You do want a wedding night, don't you?"

"Yes. Why?" Victoria asked uncomprehendingly.

"Well, sitting up all night and answering my father's questions about Zorro is not my idea of a wedding night. Tomorrow is early enough."

"And what about my questions?"

He shut her mouth with a kiss, grinning mischievously.

"Don't think you're off the hook so easily," Victoria smiled after some time when they could no longer ignore Alejandro's calling.

Alejandro felt some remorse when he went in search for Diego and Victoria. He had believed they would work out their differences once they were married. The friendship they had shared, until that quarrel a few months ago, should be a good basis for their marriage, but now it seemed that he was wrong after the display of tears from Victoria. Had he forced his son and daughter-in-law into an unhappy marriage by insisting on the wedding? Victoria had probably been waiting for Zorro to appear and had nearly fainted when she realized that he wouldn't come, only then had she agreed to marry Diego.

He was baffled when he saw the couple kissing in the garden. From the passionate way they held to each other, he could almost believe the rumors that led to this forced wedding although he trusted his son's word. He wished he knew what was going on and why they appeared so distant to each other again after they returned with him to the party.

Victoria learned to understand Diego's recent behavior towards her a little better at the wedding party. Having to behave in public when all she wanted was to melt in his arms seemed to be difficult to say the least. It was easier not to touch him or be close to him at all and she waited impatiently for the guests to leave. The idea of spending the night questioned by Alejandro seemed pure torture and she agreed with his decision to delay the revelation until the next day.

Diego finally couldn't stand it anymore knowing that sergeant Mendoza would probably last all night on the food and the wine joined by several others who enjoyed listening to his heroic adventures in his attempts to capture Zorro. While all attention was on Mendoza, he quietly motioned to his wife, took her up on his arms and carried her to the room that was to be their bridal suite.

Bed and floor were covered all over with roses and while the proposal had been far from romantic, there was no doubt he had done his best to make up for it.

"No more waiting, now you are mine," he whispered lowering her on the bed.

"We have waited far too long," she replied and by the way she clung to him she made her intentions clear. "I never expected I would be so happy tonight."