Chapter 2
Diego lifted his sword for the fatal thrust in de Soto's heart when he saw a white figure at the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw Victoria in her white dress standing on his right, and she put her hand on his arm, restraining him. Saying nothing, she only shook her head.
Stunned by her sight, he dropped the sword to the ground, no longer paying attention to de Soto. The next moment Victoria was gone, and he blinked his eyes in confusion. Someone was choking, gasping desperately for air, and he turned his head in the direction where Victoria's brothers were gathered around the coffin.
"She's alive! Victoria is alive!" he heard Ramon shout who leaned over the coffin with Victoria.
Unable to think, Diego rushed over to the coffin to gape at Victoria. She had opened her eyes and stared confused at the men bending over her.
"Diego?" she whispered. Diego bent down and lifted her up in his arms, sitting down with her on the grass nearby, staring at her incredulously.
"Victoria, are you alright?" Diego whispered, shocked. "Are you alright?" Diego drew her in his arms and held her tight.
"I'm fine, Diego, but for a moment I couldn't breathe." Victoria clung her arms around his neck. In their close embrace Victoria could feel him shaking and the rapid beating of his heart. When she wanted to draw apart again, he wouldn't let her go, and she conceded to his need to hold her.
"I thought you were dead. It was terrible. I thought I had lost you." Diego ran his hands over her body, assuring himself of her presence as he hugged her with tears in his eyes.
"What happened?" Victoria asked, noticing her brothers rubbing away the tears in their eyes.
"When you didn't come to the wedding, we thought you had abandoned Diego and left with Zorro," Francisco explained. "But Diego wouldn't believe it and made de Soto confess your abduction. We followed the soldiers who guarded you in the coffin. But, when we caught up with them and opened the coffin, you weren't breathing, and we thought you were dead."
"I'll never let you go again, Victoria," Diego declared, determined. Swooping her up in his arms, he carried her over to his horse.
"Diego, what are you doing?" Francisco asked. "I think Victoria needs to rest now. My brother and I will take her home."
Diego shook his head. "No, I won't let her go again. Her home is the de la Vega hacienda, and she will be safe with me."
Before Francisco could object further, they were interrupted by a group of Mexican soldiers, coming up the road heading in the direction of Los Angeles. The soldiers stopped their horses, assessing the situation. The group of twenty soldiers were clearly in the majority and their leader instantly took over control.
"Who are you, and what's going on here?" their commanding officer inquired, addressing Mendoza.
"I'm Sergeant Jaime Mendoza from the Royal Spanish Army," Mendoza introduced himself. "And what are members of the Mexican army doing here in California?"
"California was sold by your king and belongs now to Mexico," the officer explained. "I'm Captain Julio Valdez, Mexican army. We're are here to take over the command from Spain. You will have to decide if you want to return to Spain or pledge allegiance to Mexico, Sergeant. The same applies to your men." The Captain pointed at the rest of the group. "Who are these civilians?"
"That is the alcalde of Los Angeles," Mendoza pointed at de Soto. "He abducted the bride on her wedding day," he pointed at Victoria in her white dress, "and the men with her are her brothers and the bridegroom."
"The alcalde of Los Angeles?" the officer asked, interested. "We have heard of him and his cruel treatment of his citizens. It's one of our goals to put him on trial for that. Seize him!" he ordered his men. "The civilians can go. We have no quarrel with them," pointing at Diego and Victoria.
Francisco and Ramon stepped forward, and Francisco addressed the captain. "May we introduce ourselves, Captain? I'm Francisco Escalante," he pointed at his brother, "and this is my brother Ramon Escalante. We're both Lieutenants of the Mexican army. We're wearing civil clothes as we are here in a private matter."
"As members of the Mexican army you are under my command. I want you to stay and provide me with information about Los Angeles and everything that has happened here," the captain ordered.
"Si, Captain," the brothers obliged.
Lifting Victoria on his horse, Diego swung himself into the saddle behind her, securing her with his arm around her waist. Victoria leaned back, relaxing against his chest. "I want to go home," she whispered. "I dreamed of getting married today, and now everything is so different..," Victoria began to cry.
"We will get married today, Victoria," Diego soothed her. "Just as we planned." He urged his horse into a slow trot, moving away from the soldiers to return to Los Angeles.
Astonished, she looked at him. "You still want to get married today? What about the guests, our friends and family? Are they still waiting in the church for us?"
"No, my father sent them home after you disappeared, and everyone assumed that you had abandoned me for Zorro. I don't need a big audience for our wedding," Diego declared. "I will take care of you from now on. Nothing will happen to you." He bent his head and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"They thought I had gone with Zorro? Why?"
"After de Soto abducted you, he left a false clue so we wouldn't go looking for you. He believed that Zorro would come to him as the only one who would know that you weren't with him."
"Then it was just another plan to trap Zorro?"
"Yes, except that this time he almost killed you." Victoria felt Diego's body tense in anger.
"I'm alright now, Diego," she assured him. "I only need a few minutes to understand what has happened. De Soto abducted me before the wedding to catch Zorro? And he put me in a coffin?"
"Yes, we all thought you had suffocated when you weren't breathing. It was terrible."
"I don't remember any of it. I was in my room and about to go down and then everything went black. The next thing I saw was you." She leaned back against his chest in shock as she slowly realized what had happened.
Diego held her tight all the way to Los Angeles until he stopped in front of the church.
"You want us to get married now?" Victoria asked, surprised.
"I won't let you go again, Victoria. I can't bear letting you out of my sight, and you will sleep in my arms tonight."
Diego helped her down from the horse, and together they entered the church. Padre Benitez and a few helpers were still busy rearranging the chairs that had been added to accommodate all the guests for the wedding.
"Don Diego, Victoria," the padre said, surprised. "Victoria, I thought you had left with Zorro?"
"No, she hasn't, Padre." Diego put his arm protectively around Victoria's waist. "The alcalde kidnapped her in order to catch Zorro, and she almost died."
"That is terrible, Don Diego! Are you alright, Victoria? We must thank the Lord for saving you!"
"Yes, I think you are right, Padre. We may have more reason to be grateful than you may guess," Diego said, mysteriously. The padre threw him a questioning look, but Diego provided no further information.
"Padre, we're here to get married," Diego stated his request.
"Don't you want to wait until tomorrow when all the guests are gathered again, Don Diego?"
Diego shook his head. "No, I don't want to wait any longer. I nearly lost Victoria today, and life is too precious to waste it with more waiting."
"Victoria, do you agree with your fiancé?"
"Diego is right! We wanted to get married today, and it's all I ever dreamed of. The guests are not important. I'm giving my vow to Diego and not to them." Victoria smiled at Diego, holding his hand.
Though the padre wasn't very pleased with their decision to marry so soon while they were still under shock, he understood their need to be united in marriage. With the helpers as witnesses, he performed the ceremony, and both said their "I do" without hesitation.
After a tender kiss, Diego led her out the church again and lifted her on Esperanza. His wife safe in his arms, he rode with her to the cave.