AN: Sorry for making you wait. In return, I offer you a very long chapter.
Enjoy!
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Marguerita de Madeira had come to California from Buenos Aires, together with her parents and a younger sister.
She had been raised in Spain, but her family had left the Old World just before the war, hoping for a more peaceful life in the colonies. As things deteriorated in Europe, though, their hope soon shattered, costing them an important part of the family fortune, which they were forced to abandon as they left Río de la Plata and headed for California, where her father was hoping to buy some good land and start over.
The voyage had been long and boring for the two young women, who were also rather depressed at leaving the city that had become their home for the past few years in order to live in a remote province, barely colonized and, they were both certain, quite uncivilized.
Their destination, Santa Barbara, was, indeed, a small pueblo and most of its people were poor, although the Alcalde seemed to be a good and decent man.
As the Madeiras installed themselves into their new hacienda, the young Señoritas started hearing stories of a masked bandit called Zorro, who was roaming Los Angeles, a pueblo situated almost a hundred miles south of Santa Barbara. And, the more they heard about him and his adventures, the more fascinated they both became with him.
Then, one evening of August 1812, the Madeiras attended a dinner party at the De la Vega hacienda, one Don Rodrigo held in honor of his son's return from Mexico City, and to which all the caballeros of the area had been invited.
Barely 22, Rafael de la Vega had never thought of himself as the kind of man to fall deeply in love with a woman, but rather become infatuated with one or another Señorita from time to time. That fault of character, had he not learned a valuable lesson when he was 16, might have long since caused him to lose his life at the end of an offended party's sword. As things stood, however, he knew exactly how far he was allowed to go and where to stop before his own weakness would have ended up compromising the women he liked, yet never enough to properly court.
Everything changed for him, however, when Marguerita entered his life. From that first moment he saw her, he knew he'd never be happy unless he'd be able to see her sweet face every morning.
Resolved to make her his wife, Rafael, thus, started courting her the very next day, and, by the end of the month, he asked for her hand in marriage.
"We are planning to wed at the end of September or in early October." Rafael uttered as his family welcomed the young woman, her sister and their parents for a small family dinner in honor of the couple.
"That is a splendid idea!" Don Rodrigo, Rafael's father, agreed, glad about his son's choice as he and the young woman's father had considered uniting their families since before the two young people even met. "Once you discuss with the padre and settle on a date, I will write to my sister, to Alejandro, and to all our friends in California."
"You mean Don Alejandro de la Vega, from Los Angeles? He's a cousin of yours, isn't he?" Marguerita's father, Don Julián, asked Don Rodrigo.
"Indeed. Alejandro is my second cousin. He and his son, Diego, together with my younger sister, Alma, who is living in Monterey, are our only relatives here, in California." The man replied. "I also had another sister, Juana, but she, unfortunately, died in childbirth, almost 15 years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that, my friend. Still… you should consider yourself lucky to have any relatives in such a remote place." His friend replied.
"I… I have an idea!" Marguerita suggested. "I think we should go deliver the wedding invitation to your relatives in Los Angeles ourselves, Rafael! That way I will also get the chance to meet them!"
"The two of you alone on a three-day journey? I don't believe that's prudent, my dear!" Her father answered.
"Nonsense! It's a splendid idea! And you can have every confidence that my son will treat Marguerita as the caballero he was raised to be, and protect her if needed." Don Rodrigo stated.
"With my life!" Rafael confirmed. "To be frank, I was also considering going to Los Angeles to give my uncle and cousin the news in person. I haven't seen Diego in over 5 years, and there is another issue I am also eager to discuss with him."
"It is set, then! As soon as we have the invitations ready, we'll leave for Los Angeles!" Marguerita uttered with a wide smile.
"You only want to go so that you might see Zorro!" Her sister accused her a while later, as they were alone in their room.
"So what? Why would it be wrong to both visit my future husband's relatives and see the man the entire territory is talking about?" She wondered.
ZZZ
Late August brought Los Angeles cooler weather as well as new residents. The new arrivals were two young dons, who had just returned home after several years spent in South America. They did not return alone, though, as they also brought back two sisters as fiancées, as well as several members of the young women's family.
Having been away from the pueblo for so long, and eager to show off their future wives, they had the very bad idea to head for Los Angeles just as Luis Ramone was about to publicly whip a merchant, whom he accused of having provided the garrison with rotten vegetables.
Various dons and peasants alike had gathered in the plaza in an effort to prevent the whipping, and the four of them arrived at the precise time Zorro made his entrance on Tornado. From their carriage, they witnessed him fight the lancers, force the official to release his prisoner and to admit that it had been his own men's negligence which had led to the vegetables becoming rotten.
Once the issue had been settled, he left the pueblo, eight lancers on his trail and two new admirers staring after him completely oblivious that their fiancés were right next to them.
They had heard before, as most other people in New Spain, about the black-clad, masked man who was considered both a dangerous outlaw and a hero, depending on whose stories one would listen to. Before then, however, the sisters had not given him much though. Seeing him in action, though, was enough to make a believer of any young woman whose head was filled with romantic dreams of knights sweeping them off their feet and taking them away, to a place where they would live happily ever after.
So, as many of the other women of Los Angeles, who, however, had the good sense to hide their passions and keep their infatuations only for themselves, the new arrivals fell head-over-heels in love with the masked hero, and soon became obsessed with finding him.
Confiding in each other, after the worst fight they had in their entire life, the two, eventually, agreed to let him be the one to choose between them, and started planning a way to draw him out.
ZZZ
"Alejandro!" Don Antonio called one early afternoon as he entered the tavern, seeing his friend and his son having lunch there. "You have to help me, Alejandro!" He begged as he approached the De la Vega table.
"What's wrong?" Diego asked.
"María-Dolores and María-Josefa, my and Juan-Pedro's future daughters-in-law. They have gone missing." The man stated. "They left horse riding this morning, and were supposed to return some five hours ago. You know the area better than anyone and are the best tracker among us. Please, my friend, can you help us find them? Their mother is distraught."
"Of course… Diego?" The don stood up, expecting his son to accompany him.
"I doubt there's much I can do, Father. I am certainly no tracker, and I might just end up ruining the traces left behind, instead of helping you." The tall caballero stated. "Besides, I need to return home soon to watch over one of my experiments."
The don shook his head a few times, then nodded, disappointment clear on his face. "Very well, Son. I'll see you later."
Diego waited for everyone to leave, including several of the lancers who the Alcalde ordered to go search for the missing young women, then made his way to his horse, and guided him out of the pueblo.
ZZZ
Don Alejandro and the other men tracked the Señoritas' horses to the riverbank, and everyone started fearing the two of them might have drowned as there was no sign of them anywhere.
A few miles east, though, Zorro found the young women at the shade of an old tree, not far from the hacienda where they were staying, half-asleep and utterly bored from the long wait.
"Are you alright, Señoritas?" He inquired as he neared them.
The two jumped up, hurriedly doing their best to make themselves presentable. The older sister, María-Dolores gave a shout at finding a cockroach in her black locks, as she took a hand to her hair to make sure it was fine. She recovered quickly after she was certain the insect was as far away from her as possible, then resumed her poised stance, and put on her most charming smile.
"We were waiting for you!" She told him. "In fact, we were hoping you'd arrive a few hours earlier, before our absence was noticed."
"I see…" He replied, beginning to understand the young women's game. "And how was I to know you were absent if nobody would have noticed?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.
The sisters glanced at each other and María-Josefa shrugged.
"We were told you always know everything going on in the pueblo." María-Dolores informed him.
"Despite that, not even I know the future, as you seem to think." Zorro answered with a patient smile.
"Well… It doesn't matter." María-Josefa uttered, rather nervously. "The truth is we… We were…"
"We were hoping you'd like to court one of us. We can argue our case, and you can decide which, and the other will just have to accept your decision." Her sister helped her.
Zorro could barely prevent a chuckle, but did so out of curtesy. "I am flattered, Señoritas, but I fear I am in no position to court a woman, certainly not one engaged to be married." He told them.
"You don't like either one of us?" María-Josefa inquired as her face fell.
"Señoritas, any man would be lucky to gain your love," he replied, "but the truth is my heart already belongs to someone else."
"And there's nothing we can do to convince you to love one of us, instead?" The same woman insisted.
"I'm afraid that is not how love works." He answered.
"But we love you!" María-Dolores replied.
"You don't even know me." He answered. "What if I told you I hide my face because I have many scars underneath the mask and quite an ugly deformity? Or that I spend most of my time chasing bandits or fighting the lancers and any wife of mine would, thus, hardly ever see me. Or that, should I be captured, any woman calling herself my wife might be accused of complicity and hung right next to me? Would you still feel the same?"
The sisters looked at each other, a frightened expression on their faces, neither one daring to reply.
"There is love and there is infatuation. Think of it this way: an apple tree flower you leave to grow on its branch will, eventually, turn into an apple. That is love. However, pick the flower up and, even if you place it in water, it will just wither and die, never bearing fruit. Infatuation is the same. It may look like love, but it's a far cry from the real thing." He told them.
"We believe we understand what you mean, Señor Zorro. I guess we were both acting foolishly." María-Dolores told him.
"You have chosen two good men to be your husbands. You owe them and yourselves the chance to a happy future by their sides." He said with a smile.
"And you? Will you have a future with that woman you said you have given your heart to?" María-Francesca asked.
"I very much hope so. One day, when this mask will no longer be needed, I, too, might be blessed to wed the one I love." He confessed. "Now, may I offer you a ride back to your hacienda? Your family must be very worried about you."
The two of them agreed, and the black-clad outlaw took them home on Tornado, then informed the search party that the sisters were safely back at Don Antonio's Hacienda.
ZZZ
About a week passed since that incident when, one day, as the De la Vegas visited Don Antonio to discuss a horse sale, they dismounted in front of the hacienda to overhear what sounded as a serious quarrel coming from the back courtyard.
"How do you expect us to believe that nothing happened?" They heard a young man ask, enraged, as they both headed that way.
"Because nothing did!" Diego recognized María-Dolores answering. "He helped us come to our senses, and that was all."
"You were gone for over seven hours!" Her fiancé, Juan-Miguel retorted. "You expect us to go on with this marriage when you might both be carrying his children?"
"I will not stand for you insulting my daughters like this, Señor! The weddings are cancelled! We will pack and be out of here by sunset!" The Señoritas' father declared. "And I'll be seeing you, Don Juan-Miguel, on the field of honor. Pistols, tomorrow at dawn, behind the municipal stables."
As he said that, the man turned on his heels and stomped into the house, signing for his wife and daughters to accompany him.
"No, wait! Don Benito, please! Juan-Miguel doesn't speak for me! I trust María-Josefa! I still want to marry her!" Ángel, the other sister's fiancé stated, as he followed them into the house.
"What's going on?" Diego asked as only Juan-Miguel remained in the courtyard.
"Son? What happened?" Don Antonio also inquired at exiting the house, glancing confused between the young man and their guests. "Don Benito said he and his family are leaving."
"He has also challenged your son to a duel in the morning." Don Alejandro informed him.
"It is none of your business, Señores!" Juan-Miguel answered, addressing the De la Vegas. "This is a private matter."
"You short-tempered madman!" Ángel uttered as he returned to the courtyard. "Don Benito said he only accepted my engagement to his daughter because he thought the two of them will be living near each other, but refuses to let her marry me now that your engagement to her sister is over. I lost the woman I love because of you! If he doesn't kill you tomorrow, I will!"
"Please, Señores! Calm down, and let's talk about this!" Don Alejandro uttered.
"There's nothing to talk about, Don Alejandro. They cheated on us with Zorro! I, for one, don't want to be the father of an outlaw's bastard!" Juan-Miguel stated.
"I'm sure there must be a misunderstanding!" Diego told him, already feeling guilty about the entire situation, although he was quite certain none of it was his fault.
"They just confessed to us that they had arranged for that disappearing act a week ago because they wanted to meet with Zorro and have him choose one of them." Juan-Miguel told them. "How should I be expected to marry a woman whose feelings are so fleeting that she would abandon me in a moment to run away with an outlaw whose face she's never seen?"
"You are being unfair!" Ángel pointed out. "They could have kept their silence, and we would have never known anything. If they told us, they did so because they realized their mistake and wanted our marriages to be built on honesty. And instead of recognizing their intentions for what they were, you accused them of something so scandalous as having given themselves to Zorro!"
"You can't truly believe that, my friend!" Diego uttered.
"Indeed! You have just returned home after years spent away from Los Angeles, but we, here, know Zorro! He is a man of honor, certainly not the kind who would take advantage of a woman!" Don Alejandro assured Juan-Miguel. "Besides, plenty of Señoritas have been through the same as your fiancée when he appeared. Several of my friends and tenants complained to me those first few months that their daughters were so impressed with him that they were already making wedding plans."
Diego looked inquiringly towards his father, who had never mentioned that particular information before.
"It's just a passing infatuation most young women seem to have when they first see Zorro. But, trust me! He only has eyes for Victoria Escalante. And, even if she is by no means immune to him, nor shy in showing her feelings, he has never dared do more than kiss her hand." The old don continued with a kind smile. "If those young women say nothing happened, I very much think you should believe them!"
A few moments of awkward silence followed as the hot-headed young don was considering the caballero's words.
"Perhaps it's not too late to ask for forgiveness…" Diego suggested.
Juan-Miguel glanced at him, then at the door, and hurried inside. His father offered his friend a grateful smile and followed him.
It took him over two hours of justifications and pleadings before Don Benito agreed to give him another chance, but refused to remain at the hacienda, eventually agreeing to Ángel's offer to move his family to his father's hacienda until the wedding.
The incident was never made public as both De la Vegas and the other parties involved knew better than to tell anyone else about it, but it did strain the relationships between Juan-Miguel, his new wife and her family for years to come.
ZZZ
"Diego! Diego!" Don Alejandro called at entering the hacienda on a warm October afternoon.
"Here, Father!" The young man called, and the don followed his voice towards the library, where his son was reading.
"I just received a letter from your cousin, Rafael. He'll be coming to visit in a few days with his fiancée."
"Rafael is getting married? That is a surprise." Diego uttered at the news, putting down his book and taking the letter his father offered him. "Father, he's not coming in a few days…" he said at reading the message. "He's coming tomorrow."
"No, Son, he says he'd be arriving in four days." The don stated.
"True, but the letter was written three days ago." His son pointed out.
The older don looked at him, then checked the letter. "Maria!" He called as he realized Diego was right.
The young don smiled, then returned to his readings.
As announced in the letter, Rafael and his fiancée arrived at the hacienda on the following day, just around noon.
*Diego was in the middle of writing a sonata when Don Alejandro excitedly informed him of their arrival, having noticed the carriage approaching.
"You are rather well-dressed!" The elderly caballero remarked at noticing his son in formal attire.
"Well, it's not every day that my cousin Rafael makes the journey south from Santa Barbara with a new fiancée." Diego replied as he wrote down a few more notes, then put down the quill in his hand, and turned around to stand up next to his father. "You know, it's hard to believe Rafael is actually getting married." He uttered, remembering the young man at a younger age, when he'd hardly even liked a Señorita for more than one evening.
"Well he's certainly the proper age." The older don mentioned as in passing, while arranging his tie.
"Although he's younger than I, you mean." Diego noticed the hidden remark in his words.
"There are some very attractive women in Los Angeles, Diego." His father gave up the pretense and decided to be more direct. "It's well past the time for you to marry."
"But who would have me?" The younger man asked.
"Any number of women. You have to show a little passion!" Don Alejandro pointed out as they exited the house.
"But I do have passion. For science, the arts, economics…" Diego explained, doing his best to convince his father that he was a hopeless case.
His efforts proved temporarily successful as the don gave up, focusing instead of the new arrivals.
As soon as he stopped the carriage, Rafael jumped down and embraced the cousin he hadn't seen in over five years. After also embracing his uncle, he proceeded to introduce his beautiful fiancée and the young woman couldn't help from mentioning her eagerness to meet Zorro.*
That particular remark didn't sit well with either Diego or his father since the incident with the two Marias was still fresh in their minds.
As Marguerita headed for her guestroom to refresh herself, and Don Alejandro made sure the food was ready for his guests, Rafael took the chance to spend some time alone with his cousin.
"She's a very beautiful woman, cousin!" Diego uttered.
"She's wonderful! And I love her more than I ever thought I could love a woman." Rafael replied. "I can hardly wait to call her my wife in a few weeks! But how about you, Cousin? Is there no woman in your life yet?"
"There was one while I was in Spain." Diego confessed, knowing full well his cousin wouldn't just let go of the subject. "She was the sister of a friend of mine. Unfortunately, she left me heartbroken. So let's say I have given up love… at least for a while, until my heart mends."
Rafael nodded, unable to find anything to say, and Diego put a hand on his shoulder as he guided him towards the dining room, just as Maria was bringing the food.
*They had just finished eating and had moved on to a toast when Felipe came in, signing that there was trouble in the pueblo.
The moment she heard that both Don Alejandro and Rafael were going, Marguerita realized it was a great opportunity to meet the man she had truly traveled there to meet: Zorro. Both she and her fiancé were disappointed at hearing Diego wasn't going to accompany them, though.
As for the tall caballero, he requested more information from Felipe, who recounted that the Alcalde had ordered for the men who had not paid their agricultural taxes that Autumn to be arrested and hung, not even caring that the crops had mostly failed. He, thus, instructed Felipe to arrange for his alibi, and hurriedly put on his mask and headed for the pueblo, arriving about the same time as his father and their guests. Making his way towards the Alcalde's office, he blew up the safe taking the money there, and, as the lancers were checking what had happened, he returned to the building's roof.
"Alcalde... Your safe has been destroyed!" Mendoza uttered as he and his men got out of the office.
"But now you shall have your taxes." Zorro uttered from the building's roof, just as Victoria reached Don Alejandro ad turned to smile at the black-clad man she so admired. "You see, Alcalde, I just stumbled across this sack of gold coins." He continued.
"Thief! That's my money!" Luis Ramone protested.
"No longer. I've stolen it. And in the name of these poor farmers, I hereby pay their taxes." He added as he cut the bags, letting the gold coins fall on the Alcalde, then throwing the bags at him.
"Shoot him!" The Alcalde ordered and Mendoza hurriedly repeated the order, but it was too late.
Zorro jumped on the lancers pointing their muskets at him, causing them to discharge and fall to the ground, then proceeded to utterly humiliate the lancers as if toying with them. A while later, after making sure the Alcalde understood the consequences of any further action against the poor farmers, he hurried out of the pueblo, but not before complimenting Victoria, in the hope Marguerita would understand he only had eyes for the taverness.*
Victoria turned to greet the De la Vegas and the young Señorita accompanying Rafael, but was interrupted at seeing one of the farmers had fallen down after seeing himself freed. Taking a hurried goodbye from the caballeros, she went to see if there was anything she could do for the man, then had them all come to the tavern, where she made sure to feed them everything left after the lunch crowd had dispersed.
"You are very generous, Señorita!" One of the farmers said as he was eating his soup. "That must be why Zorro only has eyes for you."
Victoria smiled at the compliment and was in a great mood for the rest of the day.
Meanwhile, Don Alejandro decided to take advantage of the confusion in the pueblo and ordered his driver to take the three of them back to the hacienda, in the hope the Alcalde would thus forget the order he had given just before Zorro showed up, for his nephew to be arrested for having protested against the hanging of the farmers.
ZZZ
The tall caballero had just changed his clothes and sat down in front of a partly-finished painting Felipe had arranged for him to continue in order to make everyone believe he had spent the last hour painting it, when the De la Vega carriage stopped before the front door.
*"The territorial governor should be informed." Diego heard his cousin's voice as Marguerita, Rafael and Don Alejandro entered the hacienda.
"He's in league with the Alcalde." The older don replied. "I was just glad there was enough distraction for you to escape arrest."
"The Alcalde can't arrest me without sufficient charge." Rafael insisted and Diego smiled at realizing his cousin's sense of justice was almost as strong as his.
Marguerita headed straight towards him at entering the house, a large smile on her face.
"You know who we saw?" She uttered as she took the glass of wine Don Alejandro offered her. "Zorro!"
"That's always fun," Diego replied, not even looking away from his painting
"Oh, I've never seen anything like him! He made fools of all the Alcalde's men." She continued.
"This Zorro is the fool. The peasants might be fond of him, but, under law, he's just another criminal." Rafael uttered, rather jealous of his fiancée's opinion of the masked man.
"That's true. If he's ever caught, Zorro will surely hang." Don Alejandro agreed.
"That would be something to see," Diego said, almost as a personal joke.
"I think my best man is quite an artist," Rafael mentioned, hoping to change the subject, as he admired his cousin's painting.
"Me?" Diego inquired. "Rafael, I'm honored!"
"A toast to my best man." The younger caballero said as he raised his glass.
Marguerita, however, just turned around and headed out of the room.
"Margarita! A toast!" Rafael insisted, taken aback by her behavior.
"To what?" She asked, turning towards him, a determined expression on her face. "There's not going to be any wedding."
"What? Margarita!" Rafael exclaimed as his fiancée stormed away. "She's tired." He, then tried to justify her behavior to his hosts.
"Yes, indeed it's been a long day." Don Alejandro consented.
Diego was quite certain it was not tiredness to have caused the young woman's outburst. "Not that long. I'll go talk to her." He, thus, offered.
He found her at the back of the hacienda, staring out a window, a distressed look on her face.
"Marguerita?" He called as he neared her. "Rafael loves you very much. I think you know that. He's a good man, my cousin."
"But I cannot marry him." She said.
"Why not?" The caballero simply asked, confused.
"I love another man." She confessed.*
"What man?"
"I'm in love with Zorro." Marguerita stated.
"You don't even know him. You barely saw him once in the plaza…" Diego tried to reason with her.
"But I do know him!" She replied stubbornly. "I have been hearing stories about his bravery since I first came to California. He is the bravest, most incredible men I have ever seen, and I think I loved him before I even met Rafael. I know it's not fair to my fiancé, but I can't deny my heart. I want a brave, strong man by my side, and I know Zorro is that man." She confided in him. "Please excuse me, now, Don Diego! I want to be alone. I don't think I'll be joining you for dinner." As she said that, Marguerita headed for her room and locked herself inside.
Diego sighed, realizing he needed to come up with a plan, or his cousin could lose the woman he loved. And, since honesty is the best policy, he decided to start by telling Rafael the truth, an action which turned out to be a mistake since his cousin was just as hotheaded as he remembered him and, without much consideration, decided he should challenge Zorro to a duel for Marguerita.
He and his father spent the evening trying to reason with him but that was all in vain.
The following morning, as she found out it was a market day, Marguerita asked for the carriage to take her to the pueblo and was gone before Rafael came to have breakfast with Diego and his father.
*Informed about her whereabouts, he also headed towards Los Angeles and Diego, with Felipe's help, took the chance to come up with a plan aimed at making Rafael look heroic in his fiancée's eyes. That plan backfired since, by both the young De la Vega and the boy arrived to the plaza, Marguerita was engaged in a food fight with Victoria over Zorro.
Luis Ramone, who was already in a bad mood from the previous day, decided to make an example of the young De la Vega and the woman accompanying him, and ordered them to leave Los Angeles in two hours or risk imprisonment.
It was the first time since he had arrived in the pueblo when the taverness smiled, genuinely glad about something the Alcalde did.
Even if he didn't admit it, Rafael was also rather glad to leave, certain he'd get Marguerita to change her mind about their marriage before they'd arrive back to Santa Barbara. As for Diego, he decided it was the perfect moment to help his cousin by making the young woman see him in a heroic light.
The couple was just reaching Tres Esquinas when Mendoza and two of his lancers stopped them, demanding, at the Alcalde's orders, for them to pay 200 pesos as traveler's tax for having left the pueblo without paying the due fee.
Rafael refused to pay and decided to fight the lancers instead, and Marguerita helped him by throwing various pieces of luggage at the men in uniform.
Having ordered his men to avoid hurting Diego's cousin, Mendoza sat down on a boulder and watched the fight as he started munching on a chorizo he had on him.
"Sergeant Mendoza? So sorry to disturb you." A voice uttered from behind as a sword patted him on the shoulder and the man turned to see a black-clad figure smiling at him.
"Z… Zorro!" He uttered, dropping his snack.
With one swift thrust the masked man slashed Mendoza's pants at the waist, causing them to fall to his ankles.
"I think you better get to a tailor." The black-clad man suggested.
"Vamonos, muchachos!" The Sergeant called as he raised his pants and, soon enough, the three of them were riding towards the pueblo.
Marguerita climbed down from the carriage and headed straight for her hero.
"Just the sight of you frightened them off!" She exclaimed with a smile.
"Are you all right?" Zorro inquired and she simply nodded, taking in the sight of him.
"Thank you for your concern but we're just fine, and we'll be even better when you've met your proper end." Rafael stated as he also neared the two, grabbing Marguerita's arm and pushing her away as he challenged the masked rider.
"You know we have no quarrel." Zorro uttered, raising a hand.
"Defend yourself or die!" Rafael threatened.
"Of necessity, as you wish." The black-clad man answered and soon a duel started, one which Marguerita watched from the carriage, more than a little certain they were fighting over her favors.
Rafael was a decent swordsman but certainly a far cry from his cousin, who, soon enough, managed to drive him towards some boulders behind which they could not be seen. As soon as he was certain it was just the two of them, he rapidly disarmed his cousin as a proof that he was the better fighter.
"Pick up your sword!" He then demanded.
The younger man hesitated, trying to guess the man's intentions. "You'll kill me." He reasoned.
"If that were my intent, you'd already be dead." His adversary stated.
"I don't understand." The younger De la Vega confessed.
"To fight is easy. To create faith where there is none, that is a challenge. Pick up your sword! I'm going to show you how to create that faith." Zorro explained, and Rafael nodded in understanding, a smile on his lips.
All Marguerita was able to see was Zorro retreating before Rafael's thrusts, then finding himself at the mercy of the younger man.
"Señor, spare me!" The black-clad man asked.
"What's this? A plea for mercy? No Zorro, your time has come." Rafael uttered as they both discreetly glanced at the young Señorita witnessing the fight.
"Rafael! Wait! He's not worth it!" Marguerita stopped her fiancé.
The young man obeyed, and lowered his sword. "Ride!" He ordered Zorro.
"Señor, I am in your debt." The older man stated and, whistling for Tornado, was soon gone.
"Rafael, you truly are brave!" Marguerita uttered as she found herself more taken by the caballero than ever before.
"To fight is easy. But to create faith where there is none, now that is our challenge." He uttered, quoting the masked man who had given him back the woman he loved.*
ZZZ
"Sergeant," one of the two lancers with Mendoza asked, "what do we tell the Alcalde when we return?"
"Well… We'll tell him that Zorro attacked us and the two travelers… and that you were injured… so I was left alone to fight him and the two travelers got away in the confusion. By the time Zorro was gone, I had to return to take care of you." Mendoza told them.
"But, we are not injured, Sergeant!" One of the men stated.
"Of course you are! You, Alvarez, were thrown from the horse and didn't get up, and Valdez was punched unconscious during his fight with Zorro." The older man answered.
ZZZ
Luis Ramone half-bought the story, reasoning it was befitting Zorro's character and a little later, just as Victoria opened her tavern after the siesta, the Sergeant started recounting it, as well as some additions he had recently thought of, for the other lancers and whoever else wanted to hear his newest adventure.
Diego and Felipe arrived at the tavern just as Mendoza was telling everyone the story of his latest encounter with the masked bandit. Hearing his friend's exaggerations from outside, the caballero signaled for his ward to stop, then looked around the plaza, making sure he was not being watched. Moments later, Felipe on his heels, they rounded the building to enter through the kitchen.
"Señorita!" He greeted Victoria at entering, his voice merely above whisper.
"Don Diego!" Victoria uttered, instinctively adopting his tone. "What are you doing here?" She wondered.
He looked around the kitchen to see a tray being prepared, and smiled. "I overheard a little of the Sergeant's newest adventure story."
The taverness puffed. "Fantasy is more like it." She answered.
"Yes… he does have a tendency to exaggerate…" He agreed. "Which was why I was wondering if you'd want to play a joke on him." He answered.
She smiled. "What do you have in mind?"
"Depends. Is that for his table?" He asked, indicating the tray.
"Yes. I was just about to take some ale to him and his lancers."
"And would you be willing to sacrifice one of your napkins?" He asked.
Victoria looked confused.
"Draw a Z on one of the napkins for the Sergeant's table using your quill and ink! Then make sure to place the marked napkin in front of Mendoza, folded in such a way as to prevent him from seeing the letter inside before using it." Diego suggested. "It should be more than enough to cause a reaction."
The taverness muffled a chuckle and nodded, then did as asked.
Diego remained in the kitchen until Victoria exited, then went back around the tavern *to enter the taproom, followed by Felipe. The boy smiled knowingly at the taverness, who was watching from behind the bar, pretending to be busy dusting.
"Let me guess. Zorro?" Diego wondered as he overheard Mendoza mention his best men being defeated.
"How did you know?" The older man inquired.
"Well, Sergeant, you're the only one brave enough to challenge the sword of the infamous Zorro." Diego said, trying to sound serious, although Victoria, just like Felipe, heard the mocking tone in his voice.
"How true!" He agreed before returning to his story, as Diego sat down to listen. "And so, there I was: my men scattered like leaves in the wind, two helpless travelers at his mercy."
Diego listened as he poured the man a glass of lemonade.
"So you skewered him. You gave Zorro what he truly deserved, one solid thrust right through the heart." He stated.
"Well… N… not exactly."
"Well… You cut him. Scarred him for life." He, thus, went on to suggest.
"But that would be cruel!" Mendoza protested, almost as if trying to figure out the conclusion to his own story by debating ideas with the caballero.
"Sergeant, there are warrants out for Zorro. A price on his head. Surely you forced him to surrender to you." Diego suggested.
Mendoza glanced nervously around the table for a few seconds before continuing "Zorro's life was mine for the taking. He knew it! And I knew it! Killing him would have just meant a waste of time. Besides, I had wounded men to take care of." He uttered as if trying to justify himself.
"Ah, of course! We all know how seriously you take your responsibilities to your men." The tall caballero said, hiding a smile.
"That's what leadership is all about, Don Diego." His friend answered, head held high as he took a sip from his glass.
"So… Zorro is still at large then, is he?" The tall caballero asked, pretending to look around nervously.
"You needn't worry! He won't be showing his face around here anymore." Mendoza replied, full of himself.
"You're truly that confident?" Diego asked with a grin.
"Let's just say… Zorro knows who he's dealing with now." Mendoza answered.
As Diego and Felipe were leaving, smiling knowingly at each other and winking at Victoria, Mendoza took the napkin and almost had a heart attack as he opened it to see the Z drawn on it. Hurriedly folding it back, he looked around with more than a little concern* as Victoria, watching his reaction, went to the kitchen where she could chuckle without being seen or overheard.
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AN: Excerpts and summaries in this chapter were taken from the NWZ episode "The Best Man" written by Robert L. McCullough.