Chapter 16

Diego held his breath, watching how Victoria slowly began to grasp the truth.

"If that's Toronado...? Then..., does that mean...," Victoria stared to the hill top where Toronado had reard. He was gone.
Deep down, she had always harboured suspicions about Diego's true identity. A bitter realization dawned upon her, evident in the sarcastic laugh that bubbled up from within.
"So, I finally figured out why you called off our engagement. I hope your sordid liaison was worth it."

It hurt to call whatever it was she and Zorro had shared a liason.
Victoria tried to get away from Diego as far and as quickly as she could. If only it wasn't for her stupid ankle.

In less than four steps, Diego had caught up to her and grabbed her elbow.

Victoria shook herself loose. "Can I at least know who she is, or is that a secret as well? You must be relieved you got out of it in time." Victoria cried bitterly.

Diego, still reeling emotionally from Victoria's discovery and its potential consequences, asked outwardly calm inner, a whirlwind of emotions flooded richly, "What are you talking about?"

"The woman you claimed to love. Does she know about your disguises, your seductions, stolen kisses, your promises of eternal love and happily ever after? Or do you lie to her as you lied to me? Did you ever think of her when you kissed me?" Victoria sneered. "Was it all part of a plan? Did you know de Soto would leave soon?" Her arms crossed defensively.

Diego looked at her, confusion clouding his features. "I still have no idea what you taking about?"

"When you rejected your ex-fiancée, you told me there was a woman in your life, and she didn't love you back. So I like to know who is she?"

Victoria's tone was sharp. The pain was unbearable and much more intense than her sprained ankle, more than when Zorro broke off our engagement. "You lied to me, deceived me, used my feelings to..., to satisfy your..., lusts! Zorro never intended to share his life with me." She spat out the words.

Diego's confusion slowly gave way to understanding. Suddenly, it all clicked into place. Over a year ago, Victoria had asked him about a special woman in his life. He had answered truthfully, but as intended at the time, Victoria had misunderstood.
Yes, Diego was in love. The woman he spoke of loved another man. His alter ego, Zorro.
"Did you ever consider that I was referring to you?"

Victoria's initial surprise quickly turned to sarcasm. "In case you've forgotten, you are Diego, uh, Zorro. You said that woman loved another man," Victoria corrected, chin held defiantly.

"Yes, that's true. While you idolize Zorro, you barely spare a glance for me."

Victoria repeated her accusation, her tone growing more agitated. "You are Zorro!"

Diego let his shoulders sag wearily. It was what he had foreseen. Victoria refused to see who he truly was. "No, I am not. My name is Diego de la Vega. Zorro is but a mask I wear. Have you ever shown any interest in me? No! So, yes, the woman I loved as Diego loved another man."

Victoria shook her head in disbelief. "That's absurd. How could I have known you meant me?"

"I never lied about my feelings. And you never left any doubt about yours. You made it abundantly clear that you felt no warmth for me as Diego. That's why I ended our engagement. After all these years, I finally realized I had to face the truth no matter how painful.
I should have done it sooner, I admit. We have no future," Diego defended himself.

"Without even asking me? That is so unfair. After all these years, don't I deserve a say?" Victoria's accusation pierced the air.

"I'm being unfair?" Diego repeated, his voice tinged with restrained anger.

"Yes. You accuse me of being infatuated with Zorro. Have you considered that Zorro may resemble you more than Diego? Or are you suggesting that Zorro's actions were not all devised by you, and thus by Diego? You deceived everyone," Victoria retorted.

"You've shown little interest in me for years," Diego mocked, adopting a high-pitched voice. "Oh, Diego, Zorro could never be ordinary. Now, if that were Zorro, he wouldn't be such a baby over a broken leg." His tone turned condescending. "You want me to go on? Because I can. You've belittled me, mocked me. Have you any idea how hard it is to wait around for something that might never happen. And how much harder giving up when it is everything you ever want.""

"Is that what this is all about? Do you want to know why I made those harsh remarks?" Victoria's fists clenched, tears threatening to spill. Diego was Zorro. And he broke off their engagement not because he stopped loving her, but because he believed she felt nothing for him.
"I'll tell you. Because I remembered what kind of man you were before you left for Spain. Confident, opinionated, just. I hoped to see that Diego again, hoped you wouldn't let others walk all over you. After the bull incident, I hoped you'd gain some confidence. Everyone praised you, but you brushed it off by telling everyone it was a stupid thing to do. You made it sound like you had kicked a kitten.
You pretend to be someone you're not!" She jabbed her finger at his chest. "Diego is the fake one. You pretend you don't know the difference between North and South. That you could get lost in your pocket. Diego, that's not who you are. Sometimes, I wanted to shake you until you realized you're worth so much more than you think. Little did I know, you did it on purpose. That's why I made those remarks. Because I believe in you are worth more than you make people think. Because I care for you."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"Believe all you want. But be honest with yourself. Deep down, who do you resemble more? Zorro or this weak, fake imitation of the man you pretend to be?"
Victoria's words felt like a slap in the face. She seemed to peer into his soul, laying bare his deepest insecurities. But she wasn't finished.
"Didn't you become Zorro because you couldn't stand by and watch Ramon destroy Los Angeles? Didn't you stand up to de Soto and many others because you believe in justice? As Diego, you ignore those things, but Zorro fights for them! Zorro is who you really are and not Diego."

Diego knelt beside Victoria, his heart heavy with her accusations. He longed to believe her, to believe in himself. He remembered Felipe's words, a glimmer of hope igniting within him.

"Victoria, I'm sorry. I never intend for things to get out of hand. But you paid little attention to Diego."

"Can you blame me?"

"Yet, Zorro... I thought of you often in Spain. And when I returned, I fell in love with you the moment I stepped into the tavern. Soon after, I created Zorro and realized Diego had to change. I feared losing you. That's why I let Zorro express my feelings for you. It was wrong. Something I should have realized earlier on."

Victoria responded cautiously, afraid of saying the wrong thing. "So, you still love me?"

With a pained expression, Diego confessed, "I can't not love you. I've tried, Victoria..., but I can't. "

"Are you telling me you love me against your will?"

He whipped away a tear rolling over her cheek. "Never against my will. Against my hope."

"I do have feelings for the man you truly are.
As Diego, you've rarely been yourself. And whenever I saw glimpses of the man, I remembered it reminded me of Zorro. I secretly hoped they were alike." Victoria confessed. "I thought it was impossible. Diego, you've occupied my thoughts more often than you'd think."

"So what will we do?" Diego asked hesitantly.

"I don't know what you want. But I want to get to know the real you better."

"The real me does love art, science, reading, playing the piano. Maybe not as fervently as I let on, but they're all passions of mine." He warned her. "The things I do as Zorro, I do to make a difference. Now that we have an honest alcalde, I don't intend to continue much longer."

"You paint beautifully, your thirst for knowledge is undeniable and has proven useful many times, and your love for music is evident. I prefer piano music over guitar." Victoria reached out, pleading. "I believe we deserve a second chance. After all these years, aren't we entitled to at least that?"

"A second chance..." Diego contemplated.

"Isn't that what Zorro believes in? That everyone deserves a second chance. Doesn't that apply to us?"

"You're right. Maybe it does." He touched her hand to his lips, kissing it tenderly. "But you're currently engaged. Not to me or my alter ego."

"I'll break off the engagement with Pablo. I've dreaded the idea of getting married to him more with each passing hour," Victoria confessed.

Diego pondered briefly before suggesting, "Perhaps afterwards, you could return to the matchmaker and ask her to find a husband for you again?"

"I am not sure whether she is going to like that. But maybe you could ask her to find a wife for you. Isn't that your idea?"

Diego nodded.

Victoria wrapped her arms around his neck.
"And since you've saved my life three times in the past few months, maybe I've started to think differently about you."

"Maybe."

They both burst into laughter. Next was an intense, meaningful kiss, filled with hope that everything would work out.

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