My dear son!

Thank you for your letter! I hope you continue to do well in your studies.

There is nothing new to report here in Los Angeles. I have only been able to purchase a few very good stallions and mares at auction for my breeding program.

So don't worry and continue to focus on your studies.

All the best

Your father Alejandro.

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Somewhat perplexed, Diego put his father's letter aside. He had read these lines from his father over and over again, trying to read between the lines.

He should talk to Ramon about this. Maybe his friend could give him some advice.

Without further ado, he put the letter back in the envelope, tucked it into his jacket pocket, and set out.

He didn't have to search far. Ramon was at his favorite spot, a comfortable bench under the trees in the middle of the park. He enjoyed biting into an apple while reading a book. The sword next to him showed that his friend had been practicing with the weapon for some time.

"Hola Ramon!"

"Diego!" The other eagerly put down his book and weapon and pointed to the seat next to him. "Have a seat! What a welcome change."

"You don't think much of studying today, do you?" Diego observed and complied with his friend's request.

"It's way too hot to really concentrate. And I've got my degree, so I don't need to go any further. But I can't imagine going back to my old life right now."

The young Vega nodded. Ramons didn't get along well with his parents - he had often told them about their old-fashioned views and the somewhat cold atmosphere at home. Who could blame him for not wanting to leave the university behind?

The letter came at just the right time to distract his friend.

So, he reached into the inside pocket of his bolero, pulled out his father's letter, and handed it to his friend. "I'd like your opinion on this."

Ramon looked at him questioningly. When Diego didn't say anything else, he took the envelope, opened it, and began to skim the few lines. Frowning, he shook his head in confusion and finally handed the letter back to the young Vega.

Instead of a direct answer, Ramon wanted to know: "Didn't your father's last letter seem strange to you?"

"Yes, you remember right. It was short, too, and didn't contain much worth knowing. But this time the lines are even stranger."

"And this letter is surely from your father?"

"Without a doubt! I know his handwriting."

"Suena un poco raro para mi," Ramon revealed. "I mean, the letter takes many weeks to get from Los Angeles to Spain, and your father doesn't write to you that often. And then only so few and trivial sentences? It doesn't really make sense!"

"Above all, it contradicts his previous letters, in which he always told me in detail what was going on."

"Did you upset him somehow or did you have a fight? Did he have problems with you dressing as a woman in some of your scenes? Apart from the fact that it was really delicious when you came on stage as Señora Anabel. The whole audience had tears in their eyes from laughing so hard."

"Yes, that was funny. Our play was really a big success," Diego recalled with a grin. "But to get back to your question, no, we didn't have an argument. My father would also write openly if he was upset. He doesn't understand my passion for acting and finds it rather strange. That's why I didn't tell him about the women's clothes. But he was always very interested in my progress in fencing. Sir Edmond and my father are old friends.

"All the more remarkable that he doesn't write about it."

"Si. It seems to me that he wrote that letter as an alibi," Diego speculated.

"You mean because otherwise it would seem strange to you if he didn't contact you," Ramon added thoughtfully. "First he writes you about his horses, then he wants you not to worry and concentrate on your studies. Why? Those two sentences are unrelated and don't fit together. It almost seems like he's trying to keep you from coming to Los Angeles."

"Which makes me want to pull down all the tents here to find out what happened."

"That makes sense. However, your father probably has good reasons for not writing this openly. And maybe we're wrong."

"Then what's your advice? Just do nothing?"

"No, of course not!" Ramon disagreed. "But you shouldn't rush things either. Maybe you should just wait a few days and think about what to do. If you want to go back to Los Angeles, you'll have to make some preparations here as well."

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A/N:

I always found it strange that Diego never told his father about his progress in fencing, so I changed it.

In some movies, Zorro disguises himself as a woman, but it remains to be seen if Diego will do the same later on.