My thanks to PamZ. Her transcripts contribute significantly to the creation of this story.

Every word you recognize from the series isn't mine.

Chapter 2

"I'd rather eat garbage!" Victoria slaps the plate of food Ramon holds out of his hand. She despises the man.
He wants her to give him the names of people in the tavern at the meeting she had organized to discuss the man's behaviour. Well, then he can wait a long time.

Ramon grins evilly.
"Be reasonable, Señorita. You are not answering my questions. You do not accept my hospitality. What am I to do with you?"

Victoria snarls harshly. "You can start by letting me go."

"Your lack of cooperation can only mean you support the traitors undermining my authority."

"Authority? You have no authority."
With her last remark, Victoria has Ramon where she wants him. He is furious with her.

"I am the alcalde."

She utters. "And that's all you are. The people are the people."

"I know they are speaking ill of me in the tavern. I want to know who. I want names."

Victoria smirks. Ramon didn't need to know that she had been the main speaker. Determined, she moves her head and crosses her arms.
"Never!"

Ramon puts his hand on her chin and nudges her head, forcing her to face him. "Say, never, never, señorita. There are always ways to make you talk."

Victoria feels her stomach clench in fear as Ramon smiles at her with a malicious look in his eyes.
His tone is discomforting. The undertone in his voice reveals that Ramon is looking forward to forcing her to talk.
She shudders at the mere thought of what methods he might use. The truth was, it wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever done. Call a meeting in the middle of the day on how to act against this tyrant. She just wanted to do something. Ramon thought he could do horrible things. Someone had to stand up. Worst of all, Victoria thought, was that because of her fault, don Alejandro had also got arrested.
And worst of all, she had heard that Ramon ordered sergeant Mendoza in charge of the tavern. She'd be lucky when one bottle of wine got left in her cellar on her return. If she ever was to get out of this place. Ramon tolerated no resistance, and he was right at one point. He knew cruel ways to get people to talk. And Victoria wasn't sure she was strong enough not to succumb to his cruelty.

.

The narrow cot in the cell was hard and extremely uncomfortable.

Don Alejandro sat in the cell next to her. He tried to reassure her. "I am sure Diego will not stand for it. He is well aware of the laws. Besides, Ramon had no grounds to arrest us."

"He is the alcalde. That's reason enough for him." Said Victoria gloomily. Don Alejandro was certain they were walking around outside whistling any time soon. Victoria dared to doubt it.

"He is well aware he can't do anything to us without provoking the fury of the people. He merely wants to set an example. Well, he won't succeed." The don continued.

It was sweet how don Alejandro tried to reassure her. Although, in Los Angeles, there was little to no importance on the different classes, it was there. The ease with which the don made his statements were telling.
Don Alejandro had little to fear. He was a respected member of the community with friends in high positions. Ramon would dare him no harm. The chances were reasonable that the don could be released on bail tomorrow. For her, things were different.
Victoria was admittedly a respected member. The fact also remained that she was just a woman and had no family living in Los Angeles. Years ago, her mother got executed by the firing squad for nursing a rebel. Her two brothers and father had left to join the rebels in revenge. Her father had died while fighting against some soldiers. From Francisco and Ramon, she received only the occasional letter. As far as she knew, they were in Venezuela and alive.

"I hope the governor will hear of the matters occurring in Los Angeles. He is the one having the authority to sack the alcalde. It cannot go on like this. Ramon continues to enrich himself over the backs of the poor. He is taking from them what little they have left."

Would don Alejandro actually think the governor cared about a small pueblo hundreds of miles from Monterey? As long as the taxes got collected on time, the man probably did not care how this happened.
Victoria got off the cot she was lying on to look through the bars for the window outside. She is afraid of tomorrow. What is Ramon planning to do to her? In an effort to get her to talk, he may use different methods from his usual cruelties. She hated when he touched her face.

Victoria heard a strange sound behind her. "What's that noise?" Could it be lancers changing guard, or was it, Ramon? Was he coming to get her for a further 'interrogation'? Victoria noticed she had got goosebumps of fear. She turned around. She was determined not to show Ramon how scared she was.
A man, fully dressed in black, stood by the cell doors. As if he didn't have a care in the world and this is a daily routine for him, he says. "Buenas noches."

Don Alejandro has also stood up and is as puzzled as Victoria at the sight of the mysterious apparition.
"Who are you?" Alejandro demands to know.

"What are you?" Victoria asks while her air gets sucked out of her lungs. The man looks impressive.

The man grins and says.
"A creature of the night. Like a fox. El Zorro." He made a gentle bow.

"El Zorro?" Stammered Victoria as she looked at don Alejandro. What is this man up to?

Zorro approaches the cell doors.
"Perhaps you would like to leave."

Don Alejandro is wary. He knows the alcalde and his tricks.
"How do we know you don't work for the alcalde?" He asks the man, after which he remarks to Victoria. "Maybe he just wants an excuse to shoot us."

The mysterious man says. "Then he should shoot me first."
Zorro reaches out and grabs the cell keys from the nail they are hanging on.
"If you want freedom, follow me."
He opens Victoria's cell door first, then Don Alejandro's and opens both doors slightly. He throws the key ring on the nail. Victoria and Don Alejandro look at each other in surprise. Don Alejandro decides to grab his coat and follow the man. Victoria thinks for a moment. Anything is better than being at the mercy of Ramon's whims. She decides to follow this el Zorro.

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Zorro opens the door, leading out of the cuartel and checks that the coast is clear. He holds the door open while first don Alejandro walks out and puts on his coat. Victoria follows the don. She walks more slowly past Zorro and stares intently at his masked face, wondering whether the man is kind to her. Then she and Don Alejandro run across the square.

In the darkness, Victoria runs to the stable next to her tavern as fast as possible. Blindly, she finds a lamp in the barn and lights it.

"What now?" Victoria asks the don.

"It's best we go to the hacienda. We'll be safer there. The alcalde is less likely to follow us to arrest again, and if not, the vaqueros will stop him."

Victoria nodded to indicate her agreement with the don's proposal and began to harness her horse. Don Alejandro came to help her. Not much later, a horse and cart passed under the sign depicting Los Angeles heading south.

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It was not until they rode in through the entrance gate that Victoria dared to sigh in relief. As soon as the oak door fell shut, she felt safer. From the library, don Diego approached them. His hair was a little tangled, and he was holding a book. Victoria suspects Diego has probably been reading all night. The cover read the words laws of Spain.
So Diego had been trying to find a way to get his father out of jail. To his credit, he thought he could achieve this on legal grounds where Ramon was deceitful. Mesmerized, Victoria glared at Diego. The tangled hair made him appealing. Perhaps even better than the neatly combed hair she had seen him with for the past two days.

"Diego!" Alejandro cried, delightedly to see that his son was still awake, despite the very late hour.

"Hello, father." To her surprise, Diego did not seem at all surprised at the sudden sight of two people who, to his knowledge, were in prison. He walks a few more steps. Then Diego suddenly turns around. As if only now he realize something is incorrect. A sincere surprise appears on his face as he remarks. "Father! What are you doing here?"

Victoria is eager to tell what happened. "Your father and I escaped from prison. It was incredible."

Diego's surprise only grows on hearing the news. "But how did you...?"

Before Diego can even finish his sentence, don Alejandro interrupts him. His lips burned with enthusiasm to tell his son exactly what happened in Los Angeles so early in the morning. "A man wearing a mask came in and released us. He was all in black, with a long flowing cape..."

"And a whip..." Victoria adds.

Don Alejandro beams his head.
"He also had a sword."

Diego furrows his brows and asks.
"A masked man? Really?"

"It's true. How else do you think we escaped?"

Pondering, Diego asks. "What about the Alcalde? The soldiers?"

Don Alejandro gloats full excitement by telling what a formidable achievement the man has accomplished. "He overpowered them all single-handedly."

"That's impressive. So, who is he?" His facial expression betrays that Diego considers the account told by his father to be grossly exaggerated.

Don Alejandro searches Victoria with his eyes for help.
"He said his name was..."

Victoria has the name well stored in her memory. She then exclaims enthusiastically.
"El Zorro."

Don Alejandro nods to confirm Victoria's exclamation.
"Indeed. Zorro."

Diego folds his arms across his chest. "El Zorro? A fox?"

Dreamily, Victoria says.
"Yes, and like a fox, he disappeared into the night."

In passing, Diego remarks.
"The Alcalde must be furious."

Don Alejandro wants to avoid hearing about it. He is back home and would rather spend time figuring out what actions to take tomorrow with the other dons. So he says with a dismissive hand gesture. "Bah!"

Victoria could no longer restrain herself from suggesting her idea and hearing what the dons thought.
"If we... If only we could find that man in black. That Zorro. Well, he could help us stand up against the alcalde."

Diego, sensible as he is, tries not to raise false hopes. His appearance as Zorro was not something he wanted to do more often. How can you continue invoking fear and awe over you after your opponent starts realising that the devil, the word the sergeant used on him, was just a man of flesh and blood?
So he utters. "I wouldn't count on that, señorita. The man seems like a bandit to me."

Don Diego could well be right about that. Victoria didn't want to have to think this. She wanted to have hope that the alcalde had finally met a worthy opponent. "I wish you could have seen him. Then you would know he looked like a real hero."

Hearing her comment and the enthusiasm in her voice, Diego began to fear that he had already raised more expectations than he wanted to have to live up to.

Don Alejandro sighs.
"I don't know if that was a wise thing to do. The alcalde will surely seek revenge. Chances are as soon as I show myself in the pueblo, I get arrested again. And I wouldn't be surprised when Ramon accuses us of conspiring with that bandit. And Zorro? A fox? What kind of strange name is that? If we do nothing, every resident of Los Angeles will be considered an outlaw. Look at the ease with which Ramon arrested us, and for what?
Tomorrow morning, I will go to the pueblo to convene as many caballeros as possible for a meeting. We must all stand up against the alcalde. That is the only way." Don Alejandro glares at the clock.
"Let's talk further tomorrow. It's late. Victoria, you will sleep here. Diego will show you one of the guest rooms. I'll make sure your horse gets in a stable."

Diego is glad that his father has such doubts about Zorro's intentions. He is certain that as soon as Ramon knows, there is someone to fear, the man will be willing to listen to reason. If the dons were willing to listen to some of his ideas and suggestions he had picked up while searching for laws that could come in handy, then Zorro might never be needed again.
"Sounds like a splendid idea."
Diego invites Victoria to follow him down to corridor to one of the many guest rooms.

Victoria has never been here before and is impressed by the beautiful paintings hanging on the walls. One catches her attention. And without consciously doing so, she slows her stride, coming to a halt. The painting depicts a bunch of red roses in a richly decorated vase. The flowers seem to be alive. It is so delicately and realistically painted.

Diego has noticed that Victoria has stopped and is staring wide-eyed at a painting.
"Do you like it?" he asks.

"It is beautiful. The roses look real. The colours are so vivid. Even by candlelight. In daylight, this painting must be enchantingly beautiful."

"My mother made this painting. Art was one of her main interests, and she was an avid painter herself."

Victoria bent closer to the painting to look at it more closely. The mentioned painting showed countless shades of red.

"There are more paintings by her in my father's study and the family wing. If you like, I can show them to you tomorrow."

Polity, Victoria told Diego. "I would be delighted."

Diego gestured to Victoria to walk on. Six yards further, he opened a door.
"I hope this room will be according to your wishes. Should you need anything, don't hesitate to pull the shrill cord."

Victoria felt awkward. She stood at a bedroom door with the most handsome man she had ever seen. Quickly, she slipped inside and muttered goodnight.
Victoria walked to the giant bed in the middle of the room. On the bedside table, she saw a lamp and lit it with the candle in her hand. She turned the flame a little higher and could now see the room better. Victoria was amazed by the incredible luxury. And to think this was only one of the guest rooms.

The curtains were of heavy velvet. The bed looked soft and inviting. The walls had richly decorated wallpaper. The floor has tiles, and there was a sofa on which it must be lovely to sit and enjoy the view.
Victoria let herself flop down on the bed.

What was she thinking? That don Diego could be interested in her? He was far too sophisticated to notice a simple tavern owner. Besides, he was probably just like most other men, only interested in her body. Still, she could not get him out of her mind. Frustrated, Victoria buried her face in the thick, fluffy pillow. That man was way too handsome for her sanity.

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