Chapter 3

Two hours later Diego was waiting at the altar in his dark blue suit that was almost black. He was serious, trying to hide his joy that he was going to marry Victoria.

Walking down the aisle at his father's arm, Victoria looked beautiful in her white shirt and red skirt, that she only wore at special occasions. Fastened to her hair with a comb was the white mantilla from her mother that showed her unmarried state and that she would never wear again. Diego had always imagined that she would look very happy, but she looked only tired. He felt guilty that he had hurried her to this wedding, after the terrible shock she went through yesterday. They had both gotten little sleep last night while they had been grieving for Ramon, lying in each others arms.

Victoria had a forced smile on her face and she tried to be happy, but her happiness was overshadowed by the loss of her brother and sheer exhaustion.

The padre kept the wedding short and to the surprise of many, Victoria didn't hesitate to say her 'I do'. To the alcalde's disappointment Zorro was nowhere to be seen, he probably hadn't heard of the wedding in time to make an appearance.

The few friends who had managed to come on such a short notice congratulated them in front of the church, eager to return home for siesta before the afternoon sun made everyone seek shelter from the blazing heat.

The wedding reception would take place in the evening to give everyone more time for preparations. They had some more hours on their own at the hacienda before their guests would arrive for the party.

Z Z Z

Upon their arrival at the hacienda Diego lifted his wife from the carriage and scooped her up in his arms. "Now I need to take care of my wife," he smiled to his father and Felipe, carrying her across the threshold and straight to his room, closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing, Diego?" Victoria hadn't expected that. Diego sat her down on his bed. "Do you want us to..?" she asked a little shocked. "I'm sorry, Diego, but I can't.."

"No, not now," he calmed her. "I don't intend to force myself upon you. I'd never do that. And it would be force at the state you're in. I can see that you're completely exhausted." He sat down on the bed beside her and drew her in his arms. "I'm sorry I rushed you into this wedding without giving you time to think, but it was the only way I could think of to distract the alcalde from suspecting me being Zorro. Forgive me?" Victoria nodded, relaxing in his arms and burying her face at his shoulder. "You need some rest, Victoria. I'm surprised you're still able to stay on your feet after all you've been through the last day. I want you to sleep a little, querida."

Victoria raised her head and looked at him astonished. "You want me to sleep? In your bed? Now? On our wedding day? I don't think I can! The guests will be coming soon and I'm too excited," she exclaimed.

"It's siesta and we have a few more hours until our guests will arrive. I want you to enjoy the party without falling asleep. I know very well that you hardly slept last night. If you don't want me to call a maid, I can help you out if your dress, so it doesn't get wrinkles." Reluctantly she nodded and turned her back to him for him to open the buttons of her dress. Diego helped her out of it before he lifted the sheets for her to slip between them. Diego bent down and kissed her tenderly. "Try to rest a little, querida."

Victoria put an arm around his neck and held him back as he wanted to leave.

"I don't want to be alone now," she whispered. " You didn't get much sleep either, Diego. I think I could sleep much better if you held me for a while."

Needing no further invitation, Diego took off his suit and shirt, until he was in his underwear too. Then he slipped under the sheets beside her.

"I must have done something right to have the most beautiful woman as my wife." Diego kissed her tenderly and she snuggled into his arms. "You made me fall in love with you and I never want to live without you again, Diego."

At first Victoria thought she wouldn't be able to sleep, but now that the excitement was over, the missing sleep took its toll and they soon fell asleep, scooped side by side.

Victoria woke up from Diego's tender caress. He was sitting at her bedside, dressed again in his wedding suit. "We need to get ready to receive our guests. You'll have some more time to prepare. I'll send a maid to help you." Victoria smiled, feeling refreshed from sleep. "We have to pretend at least for today that this is a marriage of convenience. I won't be able to show you how much I love you when our guests are here." Diego kissed her tenderly.

"I understand, Diego." She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him. "I expect you to show me your love once we're alone." She grinned and Diego was happy that she wasn't so depressed any more. "We'll work it out, Victoria. Just a few days until we leave for Venezuela to pick up your niece."

"You don't mind that I bring my niece into our marriage, Diego?"

"No, why should I? I have Felipe who is as dear as a son to me. He will be part of our family too."

"Yes, you're right, Diego. I never thought of it that way. I want to have a big family." Victoria smiled.

"We'll work on it later," Diego grinned and Victoria blushed.

Z Z Z

"Where's Victoria? Where have you been the last hours?" his father asked when Diego entered the parlor alone.

"She's still resting, but she'll be ready soon."

"Resting? You didn't waste much time, son," Alejandro frowned at him.

"No, it's not as you think," Diego defended himself though he knew it wasn't his father's business. "Victoria hardly slept last night and she needed some rest before the party."

Alejandro eyed him suspiciously. How could Diego know how much Victoria had slept last night?

"Diego, tell me what is going on between you and Victoria? I understand her wish to take care of her niece and to get married, but I don't understand why you had to marry her today. And what were you fighting about in the kitchen?"

"We solved our problems before we made our vows and getting married as soon as possible was one thing we needed to do. You don't have to worry about us." Diego smiled.

"And what about Zorro? Don't you think he will be very angry once he finds out? Do you think it was a good idea to marry Victoria before Zorro could show up?"

"I'm married to Victoria now and there's nothing he can do about it. I don't think he'll be a problem any longer and soon Victoria and I will be on our way to Venezuela." Diego declared confidently.

Z Z Z

Victoria had put on her dress again when Diego knocked at the door a little later.

"Are you ready, Victoria?"

"Yes, thank you for sending the maid, Diego." Victoria smiled. "You were right, I really needed some rest." She looked much better than earlier and wasn't so pale anymore.

"Turn around, Victoria," Diego stepped close to her. From his pocket he drew a necklace and put it around her neck. It was gold with green emeralds, matching the ring he had put on her finger earlier.

Victoria reached for the cold metal around her neck before she stepped in front of the mirror to look at it. "It's beautiful," she beamed, turning to him. "It was my mother's necklace. I have wanted to give it to you for so long," he said. "Open your hand," he commanded and he dropped two earrings into her palm. "These are from me," he whispered, "I had them made to match the ring and the necklace."

"Thank you, Diego. They are wonderful," Victoria beamed at him after she had put them on.

"Sometimes I thought this day would never come." Diego kissed her cheek.

"Now who's in a somber mood today?" Victoria put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "We are married now, Diego. Nothing can take that away from us. Although I want to cry, thinking of Ramon, it is still one of the happiest days in my life. And there's no need to regret that you had us marry so quickly. With all that happened, I couldn't think straight earlier, but now I'm more than happy that we didn't wait any longer." Diego showered her with kisses, before he finally released her.

"Ready to meet our guests, querida?"

"Yes, and I need something to eat too. I was so excited earlier that I skipped dinner."

Diego laughed. "The cook has done her best to have a feast prepared. She and her helpers have been working through siesta to have everything ready. But I think she enjoyed it very much though she complained about the short notice."

"She'll have a hard time to get everyone fed with Mendoza coming. He'll eat more than his share." Victoria grinned.

ZZZ

"Diego, Victoria, there you are!" Alejandro greeted them in the parlor. "It's about time. Your guests will arrive soon. The rest has done you good, Victoria." Then he looked at Victoria's necklace. "Your mother's jewels, Diego?"

"Do you mind, Don Alejandro?" Victoria asked self-conscious.

"No, of course not. They were always intended for Diego's wife and I'm happy they are worn again. I don't know if I said that before, but welcome to the family, Victoria." Alejandro embraced her. "And it's father for you now."

"Thank you, Father." Victoria had tears in her eyes.

"Hm, I don't remember there were earrings too." Alejandro looked at her.

"There weren't. I had them made to match Victoria's engagement ring." Diego explained.

Engagement ring? They didn't have an engagement or did they? There had been only two hours between the engagement and the wedding. So when had Diego ordered the earrings? Alejandro still puzzled about their relationship. For someone who had given up her love to marry her best friend as a matter of convenience, Victoria looked quite happy. He still couldn't understand how she could give up Zorro so easily after all these years. Or maybe she would regret it later after she had time to think about it. Diego hadn't given her any chance to think twice about her proposal, rushing her into the marriage. He could only hope that neither of them regretted marrying without an engagement that would have given them the time to think about spending their life together.

Alejandro frowned when he saw how Diego distanced himself from his wife as soon as the guests arrived and Victoria threw him a look when she noticed it.

"Don Diego, Dona Victoria, my congratulations," the alcalde greeted them. "You created quite a stir today with your marriage."

"One doesn't often get a proposal," Diego shrugged, "and I didn't want to spend my wedding night on a swaying ship."

"Hasn't Zorro something to do with it too?" the alcalde smirked. "Didn't you marry so fast to give Zorro no time to appear? I'm curious how he will react, once he finds out that you married his woman right under his nose. I wouldn't want to be in your place then, Don Diego." The alcalde couldn't hide his gloating.

"We may have left already before he finds out. Then he'll have enough time to cool down."

"You have your honeymoon already planned?"

"It's not exactly a honeymoon. We're going to Venezuela to take care of Victoria's orphaned niece."

"Ah, now I understand, Dona Victoria," De Soto looked at her pejoratively. "You needed a husband who could provide you with the means to go there and who was better suited than Don Diego! Interesting, interesting! I'd never thought that of you. Abandoning your great hero for money after the show you put on the last time you were trying to get married."

Smiling satisfied to himself, he left them standing before they had a chance to reply. Diego wanted to follow him, but Victoria held him back. "Let him believe what he wants as long as he is far from the truth," she whispered and then there was no more time as the next guests wanted to shake their hands and express their best wishes.

After an excellent dinner for those who were invited to the party and not only to the reception, as the alcalde and other mere acquaintances, there was dancing with Diego and Victoria opening it. Under his shirt she felt his strong muscles and the thought of touching his skin made her blush. After the slow waltz, the newlyweds danced only a few more times as Victoria wasn't in the mood for much dancing. Victoria was glad that Diego had made her rest earlier or she wouldn't have been able to enjoy the party at all, merely stumbling through the dances.

Diego kept on the show that they were only friends who married out of convenience and restrained himself from showing her his affections. At some point in the evening Victoria couldn't stand it anymore. She didn't want to act any longer and she wanted to be alone with Diego.

"I don't want to party any more, Diego," Victoria said quietly, standing beside him watching the dancing.

"You want us to leave, Victoria?"

Victoria hesitated a little. "I just need some time on my own, Diego. To think, to get ready, I don't know. So much has happened today. Do you mind if I go ahead?"

"I understand. It's quite a lot for you to take in. I'll come a little later, Victoria," Diego replied, insightfully.

"You let your wife go to bed alone? On your wedding night?" Alejandro watched Victoria leave on her own.

Diego only shrugged his shoulders. "I want to enjoy the party a bit more. One doesn't get married very often, don't you think?" Diego stayed a short while longer, putting up the show, before he retreated to his room too.

To his surprise Victoria was already fast asleep when he slipped under the sheets beside her. Even though he had made her sleep earlier, she must have been more exhausted than she had admitted.

It wasn't how he had imagined his wedding night, but it was only the first one of many to come and nothing could take that away from them. He smiled happily as he drew his sleeping wife into his arms before his own tiredness overtook him.

Z Z Z

Used to getting up early, Victoria thought she'd be the first to wake, but then she saw his blue eyes watching her. "Waking up in your arms is something I can get used to quickly." She smiled at him, remembering how he had spent the previous night with her as Zorro.

"How are you feeling today, querida?" Diego drew her closer.

"Better, Diego. Much better! Thank you for giving me time yesterday. I needed that." She snuggled even closer.

"I know how exhausted you were, querida."

"But I'm rested now, Diego." She kissed him passionately.

"You're sure, Victoria?"

"Very sure!"