-Z-

And I can't explain
But there's something about the way you look tonight
Takes my breath away
It's that feeling I get about you deep inside

Totally dressed up, Victoria walked down the stairs quite slowly. She was glad not having to wear this outfit daily. Her petticoat alone weighted more than her common clothes, which made it hard to walk elegantly.
She was thrilled to meet her friends, because she wondered whether they would recognize her. Besides, she hoped to find out who they were, too. It would be much fun whereas one couldn't see her face which was almost entirely concealed by her big mask.
Just when she had descended the stairs, she was caught by a pair of dark eyes which made her shiver. There was something about those black and red encircled eyes, something dangerous, something adventurous, and at the same time, this person was having a magnetic effect on her. But there was more. When she had a second look on the man and focussed herself on his eyes once more, she read something in his eyes. Something she had seen in somebody else's eyes more often. "Trust" and "devotion" were the words she thought suiting this pale looking man.
But in whose eyes had she seen the same expression? She goodn't exactly put her fingers on. This kindness he showed, she was reminded of Zorro, but somehow she was also seeing Diego's face on her retina. She pushed these images aside by shaking her head and trying to recognize other people.
Since she had no idea, she decided to avoid this man for a while, maybe this whole night, until she had made her opinion of him. She wished he was Zorro. She wouldn't betray their love. She had waited for so long for him. It wouldn't be fair to let him down after all they had been through. However, she felt she knew what he needed and was still convinced of being his soul mate.
Now, she was definately aware of the attraction this man was having to her; he was very dangerous, at that.
She danced with many men who had been bewitched by her beauty and magnificence and was having the time of her life. However, she was still aware of the man gazing at her all evening and wondered who he might be.

-Z-

When Diego had finally found the courage to ask to dance with the Lady in Red, she had disappeared. Diego was jealous of the alcalde having had the last dance with her. Later he spook to him and was more upset by the honour the alcalde had had.
"Isn't that the most beautiful creature on this earth? I haven't seen more beauty in my entire life," Satan was not believing it possible.
"Sí, beauty is everywhere on this earth but natural elegance is hard to find," Diego remarked dreamily.
"Sí, perceptive point of view, señor," Satan turned around to face the man. "I believe we haven't met señor. Ignacio de Soto."
"Dracula," Diego replied a little moodily, however, it was an act. The truth was, he felt like flying.
"Dracula?" Satan repeated in surprise. He had thought the man would reveal himself. Well, many haven't told their identity, like his Lady in Red.
"Where are you from?"
"Transylvania," Diego continued, and added, wanting to leave him, "Excuse me, I need some more blood."
Satan became pale and watched the man leaving. Blood - did he say blood? He should arrest this man!
Diego found his way to the bar and got a glass of red wine. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't drink, but this time there was an exception. He should forget about this Lady in Red. Where is Victoria, mia preciosa?
"You're under arrest, señor, for killing."De Soto had found his courage and followed "Dracula" to the bar.
"Whom might I have killed, then?" Diego slowly turned around while he sipped his wine making De Soto's eyes grow large when he saw the red liquid.
"Is that blood?" the alcalde inquired not believing that a man is capable of drinking a man's blood. "Mendoza, arrest this beast," he ordered his sergeant feeling sick at the sight.
"Rats, alcalde, you can't be serious," Diego remarked displeased, almost sounding like Zorro.
"What? Rats?" Mendoza shrieked hearing of these animals. He moved his arms wildly in the air, and threw the glass of wine out of Diego's hand onto the floor, shattering it into a thousand pieces.
Diego looked shocked at the pieces and back to the alcalde. Mendoza was still occupied with those rats being mentioned. He lost his balance and fell onto the floor between the pieces of glass.
Mendoza sat up when everybody regained their composure from the trance, caused by De Soto's accusation.
The sergeant had cut his finger and licked it to clean his wound in an instinctive reflex.
"But this is wine, mí alcalde!" Mendoza cried out, when he tasted the sweet, rich taste of the red wine. Fortunately for Mendoza, he was wearing a purple gown, so the red spots hadn't spoiled his clothes.
"Of course I knew that," the alcalde shouted back and tasted the wine too.
"Out of my way, sergeant,' he demanded of Mendoza giving him more space to leave. He left Dracula for who he was, turned on his heels and headed to the door. When he had almost left the taberna he suddenly stood still and realised Mendoza wasn't following him. That made him realise there was still a party going on. "Mendoza!" he yelled, sounding like more trouble was coming.
"Sí mí alcalde," Mendoza replied with a little voice and quickly moved over to the alcalde standing at the door.
"In half an hour I want the taberna cleared." The alcalde ordered giving the sergeant an angry look as an understatement.
"But how about the festival?" Mendoza protested.
"Now, sergeant, or do you wish to eat your crown?" the alcalde proposed. "Tomorrow there will be another ball!"
Temperamental, the alcalde went straight to his office, where he thundered to his Machiavelli about Zorro, and the Lady in Red. Meanwhile, Mendoza ordered his lancers to let everybody out.
"Well, at least," De Soto whispered thinking it being a salve for his wounded feelings, "if Zorro dares to visit his love, I will capture him. He will be a mouse in it's mouse trap and won't escape my lancers this time."
He had a few lancers staying at the taberna twenty-four hours, besides the señorita had locked up herself. He hadn't seen her whole day. Abruptly, he remembered not having seen her at the ball. Neither had he seen her leaving the taberna. She must still be in her room. No doubt, Zorro will show himself. "It's just a matter of him time when he will appear!" De Soto laughed sarcastically at his plan.

-Z-

The next morning, Diego got up very early and decided to have an early breakfast. He couldn't sleep last night, nor could he stay in bed and extend his rest by just laying in bed.
"Good morning, Diego," don Alejandro greeted him, pleased to see his son already up.
"Buenos diás, father," Diego said, in a very good mood.
"Has this something to do with the Lady in Red?" don Alejandro guessed right.
"Father, really," Diego denied, but now it was no act. He really didn't feel like talking about her. He hardly could dream of anybody but her. Towards Victoria he felt that he had betrayed her love for him.
"No, son," don Alejandro was delighted to notice some woman was having affect on his boy, "I saw you gazing at her the whole evening."
Diego had a pained expression on his face, telling that he didn't want to hear more.
But in vain, his father continued, "You had the same sparkle in your eyes as De Soto and Victoria had when they thought that they had fallen in love with each other by one of Dr. Wayne's potions.
"Hmmm," Diego snorted out of frustration.
"What's on your mind son?" don Alejandro asked, aware of Diego's change of mood. His son really could change so quickly from one minute to the other.
"Nothing father,' Diego denied again, avoiding his father's piercing eyes, "I was just thinking of my experiment."
Don Alejandro rolled his eyes, "Oh, Diego, what am I going to do with you?"
Innocently Diego met his father's eyes and kept staring with raised eyebrows, thinking, "I don't know myself at the moment."
"Oh Diego," don Alejandro walked away to do some gardening. "When will he ever become a man?" This question had haunted the old man ever since his son returned to Los Angeles.

Frustrated, Diego smashed his book across the room. Some pages got folded at the action and the book was very slowly slipping over the floor to crush the folded pages at last.
Diego stared at the book, regretting letting his anger go free and was a little shocked by his aggression as well. Not much later Felipe entered the library and looked questioningly at Diego who still stared at his book.
"I am going to the tavern," Diego suddenly said, standing up.
Felipe was wondering what was bothering his mentor and watched the caballero leaving the library with a scared expression on his face.
Will he really tell Victoria who he is? Now?
Felipe recognized the insensible attitude and decided to join him to prevent Diego doing something irrational that he will regret later, no doubt.

-Z-

Arrived at the taberna, Diego noticed that Victoria was not there. He also recalled not having seen her the night before. Where could she have been? How could he have forgotten all about her?
It wasn't busy since the garrison cook was taking care of the food in the taberna at the alcalde's orders and everybody knew this was much worse than Victoria's cooking.
Diego understood completely why she wasn't present and didn't blame her. He wouldn't either, when De Soto put himself in charge of the "Guardian".
He was desperate to see her, but even Mendoza couldn't tell him where she might be. Diego spent the whole morning at the inn while observing Mendoza and Felipe playing chess. Now, the alcalde had put the sergeant in charge, Mendoza had a lot of time to enjoy himself with his lancers and friends. Sepulveda, one of Mendoza's men, and Alicia and Pilar, the regular waitresses, served the few customer who decided to come no matter who was in charge or cooking. Some drinks or a light meal was a small price to pay for some tasty gossip. But all talk was about the mysterious Lady in Red or about those who had discovered who he or she had found out behind some , several citizens haven been unmasked.
Diego felt restless, and decided to go home and changed his clothes for a long ride with Toronado. Maybe he would find out where Victoria was staying, or maybe some one outside the pueblo might be in need of help.
Whereas Felipe was in the middle of some game with Mendoza and Diego didn't cover up for him to join him, he had no choice but to let the master go. So, Felipe played some other games with the sergeant until he realised he had stayed too long in the pueblo and was certain there wasn't any gossip about Victoria's whereabouts. Although he had overheard some tasty gossip nonetheless, which he may tell Diego some time when his mood has improved. So after a few hours he left too, to read some of his law books and to help don Alejandro, if he was asked to.

-Z-

Meanwhile, Victoria had been staying at her room in the taberna, thinking about last night, about this mysterious man, and about Zorro.
She had heard the alcalde overreacting about that wine and grinned about his stupidity. This Dracula completely made a fool of the alcalde; and he deserved it!
How could he think this man would kill somebody for his blood, to drink it?
She had heard of vampires before, but she was sure that this man was only in disguise and was NOT a vampire. She was told about these creatures when she was young. They would only live at night, drink blood, well this far there was a similarity. But they also should be able to read minds, and … have no shadow or reflected image in the mirror. She had seen him in the mirror, which was hanging behind the counter, when he got a drink. Didn't he have an orange juice? He only drank juice, except for that scene with the alcalde.
Somewhere in the back of her mind a bell was ringing, but she didn't pay any attention to it.

Today, she had decided to sleep as long as she wished and to do whatever she wanted to do. The girls would be able to handle the taberna and the alcalde. If that wasn't the case, she could always run down and tell the alcalde or a disturbing customer and say what she thinks of that situation.
A month ago, she started making herself a fine dress. This one was not as elegant as the dress she wore last night, but nice enough for special occasions. Since last weeks, it had been so busy that she never got time to finish it. So, she was eager to pick up where she ended last time and finish it today. While dreaming of her mysterious men in her life and smiling at her masquerade, she sewed the cloth.
She had great pleasure in nobody having discovered her secret. This time, she was secretly thankful for De Soto's action. She could never have been so secretive when she had to stay in the taberna, serving her customers at daylight and getting ready for the evening just after dinnertime. The only thing she regretted, was having misled her best friend. She heard him asking after her this morning, poor man.
"Where had he been yesterday evening?" she thought out loud. "Would he have stayed at home because of the alcalde's action?" She knew he could be very moody all of a sudden.
She was silent and thought about the question.
"No, he wouldn't," she was absolute certain of that. She didn't even think she had offended him in refusing his proposal to stay with his family these days. He had left somewhat disappointed, but this wouldn't have changed his heart of the festival.
But there was something about the way he offered to be her host. Well, a lot had happened last days, which she took as they were, and looked forward to this coming evening.

-Z-