Alejandro tried to look stern, he tried to look commanding. But was a rather failed attempt as he was far to amused.
For right there, sitting in front of Alejandro was sitting two young people beside each other on the couch and they each looked equally miserable.
Victoria was a mess, her hair was in a disarray, her face was fever ridden and she constantly had to blow her own nose.
And Diego was exactly the same! As he proofed as he now heavily sneezed and then had to blow his own nose in a handkerchief of his own.
Victoria did not feel well! Her throat was hurting, her nose was stuffed, her head was thumping, her body was hot and sweaty. She was the picture of misery, her only solace being that Diego was suffering alongside her.
"I hope you learned your lesson Victoria." Alejandro commented and Victoria sniffed.
"I know, I shouldn't have gone outside while being sick already." Victoria pouted.
Then Alejandro turned to Diego. "I hope you have a really good explanation why it took you such a long time getting home."
"It was really dark, I could barely make out where I was going." Diego muttered.
Alejandro rolled his eyes. "That was a bad time to get lost son." he pointed out. "Well, I suppose this settles it. Neither of you are allowed outside until you get better."
"But!" Victoria exclaimed. "My tavern!"
"Your tavern will be fine i'll make sure of it." Alejandro assured. "Beside, it really wouldn't do for you to sneeze into the food you serve, you'll just be spreading the sickness!"
"Father i'm fine." Diego assured.
"No you're not! No disappearing acts from you am I making myself clear?" Alejandro asked in a stern voice. "I don't care what the reason is, some planet which is only visible every seventh year or some flower you want to examine. You can do that here in the Hacienda!" he stated
"Yes father." Diego muttered in a rather abashed voice and Victoria couldn't help herself but chuckle, to see this mysterious grownup being put in his place by his father was rather amusing and Diego glared at her then he looked up at Alejandro. "How does the flooded area look?" he asked. "Are people okay."
Alejandro smiled warmly. "Everyone is accounted for, no one is dead." he said. "A few houses were washed away but nothing that can't be re-build. Thank god for the re-direction of the water, that ensured that the damages weren't to bad."
"Alberto!" Victoria suddenly exclaimed. "There was a boy! Called Alberto whom fell into the water!"
"Ah yes, he's safe." Alejandro assured in a slight chuckle. "Apparently Zorro fished him up and even came to the Hacienda with the child, he's right outside with his mother."
"Oh thank god." Victoria exhaled deeply relieved, that would mean that not only was Alberto safe but also Zorro. Just then did the man next to her sneeze again making Victoria jump.
"Diego honestly! You startled me!" Victoria exclaimed.
"I'm… Sorry." Diego sniffed and blew his nose again. And Victoria as well blew her nose as the snot became to much and she could barely even breath.
Alejandro exhaled deeply as he shook his head. "I'll expect you two to stay inside." he said. "I have to go make sure our guests are doing okay. And you two are not going anywhere! Do you hear me?" he asked in a stern commanding voice.
"Yes father."
"Yes Don Alejandro."
The two muttered and at last Alejandro gave them one last stern look before he finally left the room and the two glanced at each other meeting each others eyes.
"So…. Are we just supposed to sit here doing nothing?" Victoria asked.
"Seems like it." Diego replied.
"Urgh." Victoria groaned falling back into the couch. "I hate this." she cried. "My throat hurts so bad!"
"I know what you mean." Diego admitted holding a hand towards his own throat as he groaned. "I have some tea that also should work a bit as an anesthetic on the throat." he offered.
"Please, anything to make it hurt less." Victoria begged.
"I'll have Philipe make some, I doubt we are allowed in the kitchen." Diego commented and Victoria nodded drowsily.
Not to long after did Phillipe serve them their tea, at this time Diego had found a book which he was casually flipping through glancing at the pages then Victoria looked at him. "What are you reading?" she asked.
"Art history, come over here i'll show you." Diego invented.
Victoria blinked but then nodded as she walked over the Diego and sat down beside him to get a glance of the page seeing the illustration of a big painting. "That's beautiful." she gasped by the sight of a painting of a woman standing with her back to the viewer and her front towards a rising son.
"It's called a new dawn." Diego informed. "People have speculated if the rising sun is supposed to represent the woman being pregnant and the sun rising is the rising of a new life."
"Or maybe she just wants to see the dawn." Victoria commented and Diego smiled amused.
"That's entirely possible." He affirmed turning a page to reveal a illustration of a painting filled with flowers.
"That's a beautiful garden, wouldn't it be great to make something like that one day?" Victoria asked as she leaned her head towards Diegos shoulders and yawned. "A garden, with all kinds of different flowers and crops."
"I kind of like the garden this Hacienda has already." Diego pointed out.
"Well, it is a nice garden and I do like it." Victoria admitted. "But… It could be more, there aren't that many flowers. Just the rose bushes."
"Now you say it, I think there used to be a lot more flowers when mother was still alive." Diego admitted. "I guess, after she died. neither father or I had that big an interest in flowers."
"You need a woman around." Victoria commented in a drowsy tone and then yawned.
"Yes, I think that's true." Diego admitted as Victoria rested on his shoulders. "This place, could need more people. It's a good place, but there isn't as much life in it as there should be."
Victoria nodded but didn't respond to tired to say anything, she just… Felt so good right here. Her body still felt hot, but the tea had helped against the head ache and sore throat, Diego felt warm and strong next to her and Victoria felt absolutely safe and content as she closed her eyes, then slowly she began to drift off to sleep. Resting there on Diegos shoulder, and Diego didn't move an inch for that entire time.