At the end of the episode, my word is my bond S4E9, Victoria made such a derogatory remark. If Diego had heard this, it must have deeply hurt him. And make him think his hope Victoria could love him was hopeless. What if Victoria made one hurtful comment too many?

The idea for this story came to me when I heard the following quote: "I can't force myself to stop loving you. Just as I can't force you to love me." As you can already guess, it was about unrequited love, which made me think of Victoria and Diego. Before I knew it, it was in my head, and a few hours later, I had the first rough version of 3 chapters done.

It will be a short story. I estimate 10 chapters max. And since I need to get this out of my head first, the other story I am working on will be temporally on hold.

I do not own any of the characters.

You can't force the heart.

Chapter 1

"My ring, señorita, por favor," he uttered with pain in his heart. It was the hardest decision he had ever made.
Zorro watched as his beloved's beautiful hazel eyes filled with tears. A single teardrop dripped down on her left cheek. All he wanted was to kiss away this pain and express regret for his harsh words. However, he couldn't deviate from his decision. It was for her, he did this.

Two days ago, Victoria had made a remark that deeply wounded him, making him realize the painful truth. She admired the shadow of Zorro more than the man he was. Her statement, "Now, if that were Zorro, he wouldn't be such a baby about a broken leg," painfully highlighted the fact he wished he could deny. It was time to face the awful truth – Victoria would never have warm feelings for Diego, leaving him no choice but to break off the engagement.

Diego knew that even if he searched the entire world, he would never find someone he could love more than Victoria. That's why he was determined to let her go and allow her to find a man she could love instead of admire.

"I don't understand," Victoria cried, devastated. "I love you. I thought we shared this feeling. Isn't that what you said your ring symbolizes?
Our love?"

Zorro closed his eyes momentarily, gathering the strength to continue. "I do love you. More than you will ever know. But just as I can't force myself to stop loving you, I can't force you to love for who I am."

"You don't have to. I love you more than life itself. You have to believe me. I don't mind having to wait, not knowing your name."

Zorro picked up the ring from the kitchen table corner, now lacking its former brilliance. "Victoria, you love the illusion, the excitement, the hero some think I am. Maybe you even love the mask. But you have never loved nor will ever love the man. Vaya con dios, Victoria. Farewell."

Hoping it seemed as agile as ever, despite his leg still aching from the acrobatics needed to save Victoria from horse thieves, Zorro leapt onto the kitchen counter, using an exposed beam to pull himself up to the tavern's first floor. Through the window overlooking the kitchen, he climbed out.
He heard Victoria sobbing heartbreakingly. "Please, come back. Please, Zorro, I love you."
Only through unwavering willpower did he resist her plea. One day, she would find a man she could love and be grateful for what he had done.

Outside, he mounted Toronado and galloped out of the pueblo, leaving only a trail of dust. In his mind, he heard Victoria calling the name of the man he didn't was.

The moon formed a small crescent in the cloudless sky. Zorro rode to the ocean and removed his mask. He felt the sea breeze through his hair, his eyes beginning to tear up. His cheeks felt wet and were dried by the wind.
It was for the best.
He had done what he should have done ages ago, accept the inevitable truth.

Victoria would never love him. He had been a fool in believing Diego stood a chance after he removed the mask.
He had forced his mind to accept that, but his heart...
His heart and soul belonged to her unconditionally.

Forever.

.

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