Chapter 12

After about a week, Diego was sufficiently recovered to leave his bed. And his father allowed him to spend an hour a day in the garden or library. On the third day, Felipe and Diego took advantage of this opportunity to sneak into the cave. The stallion clearly showed his happiness to see his own master again.

"Let him go. He needs exercise," Diego said after greeting Toronado and giving him a lump of sugar. "I still plan to go to Santa Barbara as soon as possible. My father was right. We need to ensure our affairs are in order should California declare its independence from Spain. It's convenient that there's a large cattle auction next week. Father surely won't mind when I buy a stallion of such quality." Diego walked to the desk and opened one of the drawers. "Look, I've made ownership papers for Toronado." He showed Felipe the papers he had been working on for the past few days. "According to these, his previous owner was Salvador Guilerans. This man bought him when he was barely six months old. We only need to give Toronado a new name. Any suggestions? Yes, I agree, Toronado is a beautiful name. But I didn't go through all the trouble of forging ownership papers just to let him keep his own name. That would be too conspicuous. What do you think of Vendaval?"

Felipe gestured that he didn't like the name but understood there was little choice.

"My father will figure it all out soon enough. But now that the era of Zorro is over, and my life is no longer in danger, it might be time. The knowledge that he can breed with Toronado will hopefully provide enough distraction to keep him from wanting to kill me," Diego remarked amusedly.

Felipe laughed. 'It won't come to that.

"You're right, Felipe. But my father will not be amused when he finds out he's been fooled for years. And now, have you thought about what you plan to do with your reward?"

Victoria's helpers had been correct. The four bandits who had attempted to rob them were from the Montoya gang. Each had a bounty of 1000 pesos on their heads. Initially, Diego had indicated that Victoria could have the money. She had refused, saying it wasn't hers because she hadn't done anything. Eventually, she reluctantly agreed to split the money. And, Diego had to admit, that hadn't been such a bad idea. He had given the other two thousand pesos to Felipe. Here, too, he had to use his persuasive skills.

Felipe gestured once again that he didn't need the money. "You've done so much for me. I can't accept this," Felipe gestured.

Diego put his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked at him intently. "Felipe, don't think for a moment that you owe me or my father anything. It's quite the opposite. We..., I owe you so much. Without your help and support, Zorro could never have existed. All those times you've helped. All those times you've saved my life. Not to mention your friendship. That's priceless. Hacienda de la Vega will always be your home. But two thousand pesos is a small fortune. If you handle it wisely, you can fulfil your dream of becoming a lawyer. We'll go to Santa Barbara together next week. I'll introduce you to Luis Cristóbal. He's a notary and a good friend of my father. I'm sure he knows lawyers and will help you apprentice with one of them. Felipe, you've put your dreams and life on hold for Zorro long enough. It's time for you to forge your own path."

Shyly, Felipe gestured that he never felt like he had sacrificed a dream for Zorro.

"And that's commendable. But you're eighteen or nineteen years old. It's time for you to chart your course. Just promise me you'll never forget that you'll always be welcome here."

Felipe laughed and promised Diego he would always keep in touch since they were family.

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That evening, Diego and Felipe informed don Alejandro of Diego's proposal. Don Alejandro was pleased with the idea. "You're absolutely right. With the right mentor, Felipe can become an excellent lawyer. And indeed, the reward money is an excellent starting capital to later establish a successful practice. I'll write a letter to my friend don Luis. Maybe you can stay with him for a while. He may be a notary, but he also knows a lot about the law and will be able to teach you a lot. I'm sorry to see you go, Felipe. I've grown very fond of you. Know that you will always be welcome here. And you've done so much for us. I'll double the two thousand pesos. That way, you'll have four thousand pesos, and nothing will stand in your way of achieving all your dreams."

The rest of the evening was spent by don Alejandro giving Felipe all sorts of well-intentioned advice.

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Life in Los Angeles improved rapidly. With lower taxes, people had more to spend, and the tavern had always been a beloved place for people to meet. Even the soldiers came by more often now that their salaries had been increased. Mendoza's salary had almost doubled, and he even got a day off each week, which he planned to spend in the tavern.

While daily life continued, Victoria noticed that she thought less and less about Zorro. But there was another man who occupied her thoughts.
If anything had made her realize how much she cared for that man, it was the fear she had experienced when she thought he might die. She also knew that Diego would never have romantic feelings for her. After all, he had told her he loved someone else. And even when that wasn't the case it was well known that the de la Vega heir wasn't the least bit interested in any woman or marriage, much to the disappointment of his father.
An unknown fear overcame her when Diego mentioned wanting to go to Santa Barbara again and didn't ask if she still wanted to accompany him and Felipe.

They plan to visit a friend of don Alejandro's who was also a notary to ask if Felipe could apprentice there. Victoria remembered how Diego had been absent several times in the past years for short trips to places in the area. What if he had been going to Santa Barbara all those times? What if he visited a woman? What if he came back this time, engaged?
When don Alejandro asked why she didn't accompany Diego and Felipe again, Victoria expressed her preference to stay in Los Angeles.

It wasn't easy, but Victoria had to accept that Diego was starting to take up a larger part of her heart now that Zorro was out of the picture.
Disappointed that her heart had once again made the mistake of harbouring feelings that would never be reciprocated, Victoria vowed not to be disappointed again.
She wasn't again going to wait for something that would never happen.
If she wasn't destined to marry a man she could have romantic feelings for, she would make sure her other wish would come true.

She wanted children, a family to call her own. And as a woman, you needed a husband for that. She was almost twenty-eight. Many considered her an old spinster by now. Perhaps it was time to be sensible and accept that true love simply didn't exist or was not meant for her. And so, Victoria resigned herself to the fact that it was high time to put reason above the heart.

That's why, after saying goodbye to Diego and Felipe, Victoria went to the matchmaker. She expressed her hope that a man would be willing to marry her.
And the matchmaker eagerly accepted the challenge.

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There's a reason why I chose to have Felipe's apprentice with Luis Cristóbal instead of sending him to university. In 1820, the time in which the series was set, there were few universities in the Spanish colonies.
It was a turbulent time, and with the (impending) revolutions mentioned in the series, it didn't seem wise to send Felipe to Mexico.
Spain also wasn't an option, since California might declare its independence.
For people from less privileged backgrounds like Felipe, it was almost impossible to get a university education. Instead, it was more common for people to learn a trade or apprentice with a craftsman to pursue a certain profession.

As a notary, Luis Cristóbal could offer Felipe a practical education that is directly relevant to his desired career as a lawyer.
The fact that Luis Cristóbal is a good friend of Don Alejandro provides an extra layer of security.

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