Reports of my Death
"There is no way he could have survived that fall, Felipe." Diego sunk into the chair behind his desk. "I couldn't hold onto him and he fell. I would never have wished...."
Felipe rested a comforting hand on his troubled friend's shoulder. He signed slowly so that Diego would understand everything he was trying to say.
"Yes, I didn't mean for him to fall. And I certainly trusted my abilities to help him if he should slip." Diego leaned back in the chair, trying to relax. "I guess it was a rude awakening that I can't do everything or save everyone."
Diego nodded when Felipe signed a comment.
"Yes, I am not perfect. I know that, Felipe." Diego took another deep breath and then opened his journal to finish inscribing the last of his adventure at the Devils Fortress. "But he fell because of me. If I had not been there, he would still be alive."
Felipe was becoming agitated and Diego could tell because his hand signals became quicker and harder to read.
"I know, I know, Felipe." Diego help up a hand to try and calm down the agitated boy. "Then he would have the King granted deed to our hacienda and he would still be here plaguing our people."
"But I never wish death on anyone and I certainly would not have killed him or anyone ."
Felipe nodded.
"Perhaps there will be some good that comes out of his death." Diego observed. He had to find something good about this situation or he would never be able to clear his conscious of the Ramon's death. " Maybe we will have no more need for Zorro now that we will be getting a new alcalde. Maybe I will be able to tell Victoria and my father and live out my life as a normal man instead of living a double life as a wanted bandit."
Felipe nodded, smiling widely.
"Let me finish up here and then we'll pay a visit to the tavern. See how Victoria is doing after her ordeal at Devils Fortress. Besides," Diego smiled widely. "I want to pay my respects to her family."
"Thank you for coming , Diego." Victoria forced a small smile.
"I wanted to pay my respects to your family." Diego took her arm and led her to a seat away from the bustling tavern. "I didn't know your father but any man to have sired a beautiful, talented daughter like yourself, would have had to have been a great man. I'm sorry that he did not live to return to the pueblo."
Tears threatened to spill over her lovely brown eyes at his touching comments and she turned away, embarrassed.
"Please, Diego."
Diego's heart cried out for her pain and he wrapped a consoling arm around her shoulders.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I didn't mean to cause you more pain by bringing it up. I'm sorry." He absently brushed her hair with his hand. Something he had done many times as Zorro and something he didn't realize he was doing now.
"I'm sorry." He repeated and pressed a kiss to her hair.
Something about the situation seemed familiar to Victoria but she was too lost in her own grief over her father's death to notice.
"Thank you, Diego." She pulled away awkwardly, embarrassed that she had fallen apart in front of her childhood friend.
Diego nodded, releasing her immediately. It was very improper to be holding a woman one had no attachment to in the way he had been holding her and he realized that it would look very bad if they were observed.
He looked down at her with kind, sympathetic eyes and she was instantly hypnotized by them. The way that he looked at her, the gentleness that she observed in his gaze, caused her to look away quickly. She immediately thought of Zorro but the thought was driven from her mind when Diego spoke.
"Will there be a service for him?"
She shook her head in a vain effort to clear it and nodded. "Yes, at sundown."
"Until then." Diego nodded and made motion to leave.
"Diego." Her voice was but a whisper but his heart stopped when she said his name.
He turned slowly, trying to anticipate what she was going to say.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for your help."
Diego smiled slightly. His heart was disappointed that she hadn't said more. But who was he fooling, He had supposedly gotten lost on his way to the Fortress and had not helped in the least bit.
"I would do any....." He stopped. He wasn't ready. Not here. Not now. Not this way. "You're welcome."
"I will see you later. " He smiled , took her hand and squeezed it lightly. " At the service."
She nodded and he walked slowly out the door.
"He's almost dead." The soldier commented as they laid the unconscious man on the bed.
"If that man dies, you will follow him!" The commandant sneered. " I want him to live with the pain and the humiliation I will have to live with for the rest of my life. He caused the death of my daughter and he will know all kinds of torturous pain before he dies."
He turned on his heal , glaring at the doctor who had just arrived. "You will keep him alive, doctor."
The older man knelt beside the patient and began to examine him.
"He has severe injuries. It is remarkable that he has survived for so long. Broken bones, severe head injury. I can't tell if he has any internal bleeding. If he does, it will only be a matter of time."
"I will bring in whoever you need to keep him alive." He turned to the guardsmen. "Stand outside and let no one in."
The guards saluted and stepped outside as the commandant turned to face the doctor. "No one is to know of his existence. He will be kept in this suite until he recovers or he dies. You will tell no one of this man. Do I make myself clear."
"Quite clear, Commandant." The doctor was not really paying him much attention as he attended his patient's injuries.
He slammed the door behind him and ordered the guards, one by one, to follow him to his office.
"Sit." The commandant motioned and they obeyed immediately. He walked slowly behind them and protocol demanded that they not turn to look at him.
"I am commissioning you with a special task. If you cannot perform this task then you will be dismissed from service. I want you to take turns in rotation outside the man's sickroom. bring in as man men as you need for constant rotation. Secrecy is a must. If I discover that someone outside of your gathered men knows about this prisoner, then I will have you all executed."
"Do I have your complete confidence in this matter?"
The two men nodded without hesitation and the commandant smiled.
He slid a knife out of his sheath and quickly marked the two men with a slash across their left cheeks.
The men grasped the inflamed area immediately and stared wide-eyed at their commandant and the blood sliding down their hands.
"Each man you choose will be so marked. You will be given an increase in pay and accommodations within the Fortress itself rather than in the soldiers barracks."
"Gonzalez, you are in charge of organizing the duty roster. Choose as many men as you need but do not overstaff. I want to meet with them by this afternoon. Understood?"
"Yes commandant!" The men chorused.
"You are dismissed."
4 Months later.........
The fog was thick as he struggled to put the pictures together in his mind. He could see quick snapshots of pictures, events and people but could not put any one of them together.
As his mind twirled back to the fall, the pain in his head became greater but he could see the scene much more clearly.
Zorro had been there. Taunting him, using his blade to sting his fingers and cause him to loose his grip.
What had happened? Had he died? Was he in hell? He couldn't move his body and his mind was constantly going black with nothingness.
Suddenly he was falling. Falling into nothingness. He could hear his scream echoing in his mind but it went blank and all he could see was the blackness. But he was still falling.
He could feel his head turning to look at something in his hand. Everything was moving in slow motion and he was back at the top of the Fortress again.
He blinked trying to force his mind and his memory to see more.
Zorro was there with him. What had happened to the masked man? Had he fallen as well?
His mind went blank and he was falling again. But, this time, before he fell, he saw his hand reach up and rip the mask from the bandit's face.
The world moved slowly as he looked from the mask in his hand, to the man's startled face.
His eyes widened as he fell again. His world moving slowly, He noticed the now barefaced bandit lean over the rock to try to grasp him. Or rather, make sure that he had indeed fallen and was not still clinging to some protruding rock along the Fortress walls.
No, it couldn't be! Diego de la Vega was the masked man that had haunted him for years! His already clouded mind couldn't fathom the deception that would have had to have been involved. He had to be dreaming. Or maybe his mind was just grasping at straws. He was getting mental pictures of many of the pueblo's residents, maybe there would be another face behind the mask in his next vision.
He was at the top of the Fortress again hanging on for his life. The masked man was again there with him, taunting him, demanding that something be given back.
The deed! He had stolen the Kings deed to the de la Vega hacienda! That was what Zorro wanted returned!
He concentrated. Had he given it back to the masked man, or did he fall with it and had it stolen off of his unconscious body?
His fingers hurt now. The masked man was stinging them with his blade. Threatening to let him fall if he did not return the parchment.
He could see himself reaching for the masked man's face. Again it was the same face beneath the mask that it had always been.
He could hear himself cry. "De la Vega. I should have known!"
Again, his mind and body spiraled toward the blackness and he could not keep himself from being consumed by it.
He screamed! From anger. From Fright. From confusion. He screamed.
The fog and haze in his head disappeared and his eyes snapped open. He blinked rapidly, trying to become accustom to the bright light.
His head hurt. His whole body hurt and he groaned in pain. Before unconsciousness enveloped his senses again, he saw a door open and what looked like two Royal Guardsman step through.
"You must move your legs." The doctor sighed.
"I'm trying!" The exasperated man grumbled. "It's not easy. Everything hurts!"
"As well it should." The Commandant grinned. "You fell from a very high place and barely escaped with your life. Unlike my daughter."
"Senor, I....."
"No excuses. You will know pain like you have never known before and then you will die." The man smiled.
Ramon's eyes widened and he asked. " Is that why you struggled so hard to keep me alive? So that you could inflict more pain on me?"
The Commandant of Fortressa del Diablo just smiled. His eyes dancing with the thought of all the different methods of torture he would inflict upon the former alcalde of Los Angeles when he was well.
"Use the weights with your arms. It will strengthen them and give you more muscle control." The doctor instructed. "When you are well enough. I will have you sit on the edge of the bed and work on your legs. I don't want you to wear yourself out completely. You'll be walking in no time."
"I want him up and working with a sword . As soon as he get the strength back in his arms, I want him practicing." He turned to one of the guards who now stood on the inside of the door . " Provide the necessary equipment."
The guard nodded, saluted and rushed to carry out his assignment.
The bed-ridden man's eyes widened. "Why would you want me to heal or even put a blade in my hands?"
"It will be an unsharpened blade for you to practice with. I don't want you to be completely helpless when I cut you to ribbons."
Ramon frowned as the Commandant strode confidently out of the room.
The dreams would not stop. He could feel himself falling and could see the ground now as his body slammed into it.
He could remember clawing at the sides of the Fortress as he fell. He could feel the pain as the skin was ripped from his fingers when he gripped at the crumbling rocks.
Then all he knew was blackness.
Then he would wake.
All he could dream about was getting well again and returning to the Los Angeles to confront the man who left him for dead. The man who had fooled him so completely for years. He couldn't wait to see the look on Diego de la Vega's face when he walked into the pueblo and made his accusation.
It was now all he lived for. That one simple thing.
Well that, and getting out of the insane man's clutches who held him in this tower. Torturing and planning to do god knows what to him after he was well again.
The dream replayed itself and tossed in his bed. He had not been able to sleep a full night since he had awoken from his coma.
"You are progressing nicely." The doctor commented as he watched Ramon's face contort in pain. He was struggling with lifting the weights now attached to his legs.
"I'm glad you think so." He grunted. " Because I feel as if I am making no progress at all. And that man is determined to work me until I die of pain and frustration."
"Well he does have a grudge." The doctor commented absently. " You did cause the death of his only child."
"It was an accident!" Ramon cried. "She didn't have enough brains to aim that pistol she held at Zorro! He would be dead now, she would be alive and I would not by lying in this bead like an invalid!"
"Keep working on it." The doctor continued mixing his medicine , glancing at his patient only when he could see no movement out of the corner of his eye.
"Your upper body strength is much better." The doctor smiled. " You are progressing nicely."
"The fencing practice has helped strengthen my arms." Ramon smiled. He too was happy with his progress.
He had been able to walk like normal again. The exercises with his legs had been getting easier and he was beginning to feel the muscle tone returning to the once motionless limbs. He was getting better with his fencing exercises as well and he was feeling confident that not only could he take the insane commandant who had kept him imprisoned in the Fortress, but Zorro himself!
As Ramon struck the padded exercise equipment with his foil, he grinned. "I don't think I will have any problems with the commandant."
"I'm sure you won't." The doctor smiled as he stepped out the door.
Ramon's eyes narrowed as he watched the doctor leave. He had been behaving strangely for a while now and he didn't know why. He wondered if the doctor was planning something that his employer didn't know about.
"Senor de la Fuente." Ramon parried the commandant's lunge and backed away. "Why can't we work together to bring down Zorro. He, after all, was a cause of your daughters death as well!" Ramon backed away as the man continued to attack. He didn't feel up to dueling with the man and if he could get de la Fuente to agree to a plan to capture Zorro perhaps Ramon could use the Commandant's influences in Spain.
"Don't think you are going to absolve yourself for your hand in my daughter's death." De la Fuente thrust his blade at Ramon's midsection and the former alcalde of Los Angeles dodged out of the way just in time.
"What did you have in mind?"
"You know influential people in Spain. People that might be interested in hearing that a relative of the King, no matter how distant, had committed numerous acts of treason against his Crown." Ramon's eyes lit with the prospect of not only hurting the man who was Zorro but ruining his entire family as well.
"Oh?" De la Fuente lowered his blade and stared cautiously at Ramon.
"I pulled the mask from Zorro's face before I fell. I know who he is and I know he has distant bloodlines to the Spanish nobility." Ramon smiled mischievously.
"Really?" Ramon could see the wheels turning in the Commandant's head. " The King thought he was giving me a promotion by sending me here to this wretched place. What a prefect time to get back at him for the life I have been forced to live for decades."
De la Fuente sheathed his sword and grinned. "I do indeed know some influential men in Spain. I think we shall sail for Spain immediately."
Ramon tried to wipe the smug look from his face. He didn't want to appear to overconfident.
"Yes. I have a plan. If you would like to hear what I have to say."
De la Fuente extended his arm toward his office chambers and smiled. " Lead the way."
"Thank you." Diego smiled as Victoria placed a plate of hot carne asade in front of him. " Smells wonderful."
"Thank you, Diego." Victoria blushed at his praise and refilled his juice glass before rushing over to clear off a vacated table.
"She works too hard." Diego muttered and Alejandro chuckled.
"She is a business woman, Diego." Alejandro smiled. "She's done quite well for herself by working hard."
"Oh I know, Father." Diego smiled as he watched her move from table to table, checking on orders, refilling glasses. "I can't help but think she deserves better."
Alejandro stared at his son. "Why Diego, is there something going on that I don't know about?"
Diego chuckled. "Whatever do you mean, father?"
Alejandro frowned. "Never mind." He turned to follow the young Seorita with his eyes. "She does deserve to have an easier life. She has been waiting for Zorro for a long time."
"His work never seems to end." Diego commented. "She may be better off taking one of the many other offers she has received over the years."
The men smiled as Victoria whirled past their table. Each giving her a cursory nod of their heads.
"Would you be one of those offers if she were to change her mind about Zorro?" Alejandro stared hard at his normally uninterested son. He couldn't help but hope Diego said yes. It was way past the time for his son to marry and start a family. He had promised Diego that he would not rush his son, but he was getting anxious and he very much wanted to be alive to see his grandchildren born.
Diego smiled at his father and cast a sideways look at Victoria. Perhaps being honest with his father would be a good start into one day revealing this secret life he had led since he had returned from Spain.
"Perhaps." Diego looked away. He was a little embarrassed about discussing such things with his father. He didn't want to reveal too much about his feelings for Victoria but he also wanted to give his father some hope that he son was not a complete freak and was not interested in women at all.
"I'm glad to hear it!" Alejandro exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loudly as heads turned in their direction.
"Father, please." Diego extended his hand in hopes that one small gesture would silence his father.
"Sorry, Diego." Alejandro realized what he had done and was truly disgusted with himself. " It has been so long since I have seen you show the slightest interest in the fairer sex and I was afraid..."
Diego chuckled. " There are reasons, father." He took a deep breath, wondering how much he could say without revealing too much. "I can't go into it right now. But one of these days, I'll tell you about it."
This peeked his father's curiosity and he was reluctant to let it go. "What do you mean?"
"Father." Diego narrowed his eyes.
"Ok. Ok." Alejandro chuckled.
As dusk fell over the pueblo, a covered carriage arrived in the pueblo flanked by Royal Guardsman.
Felipe, who had been riding into town to meet his patrons, followed the carriage from the plaza gates. It was strange for a covered carriage to be coming into the pueblo after dark. Very few people in the territory could even afford such amenities. And even fewer could afford the services of the Royal Guardsman. When not send or used by the King, these men were used as personal guards. Felipe wondered who in the territory would need such services.
Felipe dismounted his horse, tied him to the rail and stared as the carriage came to a stop in front of the alcalde's office.
The only thing Felipe could see was a lone man, covered in a long flowing, hooded cape, step out of the carriage and walk quickly up to the alcalde's office.
When the man disappeared inside, Felipe went in to tell Diego of the stranger. He did not notice two more men, one dressed in richly covered clothing, leave the carriage and enter the alcalde's office.
"What is it!" DeSoto threw open the door in disguise. What fool had the nerve to disturb him after sunset!? "Mendoza if you...."
"Not Mendoza, Senor alcalde." The hooded man said calmly, hand raised to silence the man.
DeSoto's eyes narrowed and he demanded. "Who are you? Why are you disturbing me so late....."
"Because I believe we have a common goal in this pueblo and I have returned to see that it is accomplished." The tone of the man's voice was calm and stead and that unnerved the alcalde.
"And what goal might that be?" Ignacio rested his hand on the hilt of his blade.
"The shame, humiliation and destruction of Zorro." There was some indication of emotion in the man's voice and that revealed to DeSoto that this stranger held some animosity towards Zorro. This was good. He could use every hand he could get to bring that masked renegade to his knees.
"Do come in, Senor." Ignacio smoothed his beard and led the stranger into his office. He settled into his seat and stared at the man.
He had not removed his cloak and that was making DeSoto nervous.
"I am Ignacio DeSoto, alcalde of this pueblo. Who might you be?"
Two hands came up and slowly slid the hood of the cape over his head.
DeSoto couldn't help but think that he had seen this man before. Or at the very least heard descriptions of him.
"Luis Ramon. Former alcalde of Los Angeles."
DeSoto's eyes widened and he turned when two more men entered his office.
"I am Senor de la Fuente. Commandant of Fortressa del Diablo."
"I am Francisco Aragon de Castille. Magistrate of the Royal Constabulary and sent here by the King's Royal Court to govern in this matter."
"You must be insane, Sir. Luis Ramon died...."
"No. I have been recovering from my injuries for the last 4 years and now I have returned to put an end to the man that caused me so much pain."
DeSoto could see in the man's eyes that he believed he was telling the truth.
"I can see you do not believe me." Ramon sighed. "I know the identity of Zorro and we plan to arrest him, try him and send him back to Spain in chains."
"You see. I have the power invested in me by the King to arrest, try and bring back to Spain the man known as Zorro. Seor Ramon knows this man's identity and we plan to arrest him tonight."
"What!?" DeSoto stood, his eyes wide. His hands were trembling with excitement. If there was even the slightest chance that this man was who he said he was and could reveal Zorro's identity, he would give him the chance.
"You heard me." Ramon's voice was calm again. He was keeping tight control over his emotions. He didn't want to appear too excited. " I pulled the mask off the man before I fell from Devils Fortress."
"Who is it?!" The alcalde could barely contain his glee.
"Not so soon." Ramon grinned. "I would like you to gather all of your lancers and ..." Ramon looked around his former office until his eyes came to rest on the clock that rested atop the safe. " It would be about dinner time. He always comes to the tavern for dinner. I think it is time to pay him a visit."
Ramon stood, placed the hood over his head once more, and walked to the door. Commandant de la Fuente replaced the hood over his eyes and followed Ramon towards the tavern.
Swinging the door open, he called over his shoulder. "You might want to surround the tavern with your lancers and send a few inside to keep him from escaping."
"Yes, indeed." DeSoto called for Mendoza, gave him the orders, and followed Ramon and the other two men, out of his office.
When they stepped into the tavern, they found it to be bustling with activity. DeSoto watched the hooded man gaze around the tavern, but without being able to see his eyes, He would not know whom they came to rest on.
Ramon grinned widely as his eyes came to rest on the de la Vega's and the annoying little def mute. Diego was listening intently to what Felipe was saying, narrowing his eyes and nodding as if he understood what the boy was saying.
"See to it that all the exits are blocked." DeSoto ordered Mendoza.
A few of the patrons stared at the alcalde and the troops that had entered the tavern. Sensing that something was amiss, Victoria slid up the alcalde.
"What is going on, alcalde?" Victoria cast a quick glance in the strangers direction but focused her complete attention on the alcalde.
"Why, we have come to arrest Zorro, of course." DeSoto grinned as he answered her question loud enough for the whole tavern to hear.
The tavern became immediately silent as Victoria chuckled. "Zorro is not here, alcalde. What makes you think you could catch him if he were."
"Because, tonight, we are going to catch him without the mask, Seorita." DeSoto grinned evilly.
Victoria frowned and shook her head as if she didn't believe the man's words. For a few moments she believed it to be impossible. But as the moments passed, she had a sinking feeling in her heart that the alcalde meant what he had said.
Before Victoria had a chance to comment, Ramon walked toward the corner of the room and came to stand beside the table the de la Vega's were sitting at.
Her eyes widened and she tried to stifle a startled gasp, as the man removed the hood and stared at the table in front of him.
Diego, Alejandro and Felipe stared wide-eyed at the man, surprise evident on their faces.
Diego recovered first and smiled. "Hello Vicente. What brings you back to our pueblo?"
Ramon chuckled. "Wrong, de la Vega. I am most certainly not my brother."
De la Fuente removed the hood from his head and stared at Ramon.
Victoria followed DeSoto and the Royal magistrate over to stand in front of the table and she interrupted. " What are you doing back in this pueblo. You should be arrested for....."
"For what, Senorita Escalante? For returning from the dead?"
He laughed when her eyes narrowed. He could hear the crowd murmuring in the background but he tuned it out and stared at Diego.
"When I fell from Devil's Fortress, I pulled the mask from Zorro's face."
Diego's heart pounded as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. He didn't know how Ramon could be alive but it was apparently true and he needed to do something about this before everyone found ........
"I trust, Senor de la Vega, that you took the deed I handed you and hid it in a safe place."
The murmurs and whispers among the crowd became louder as a very audible gasp could be heard come from Victoria's lips.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Senor." Diego answered.
"Then let me phrase it a different way. I know. I pulled the mask from your face and then you let me fall to my, presumed, death from the top of Devils Fortress."
"Ramon, you must be mistaken." DeSoto questioned. " Diego de la Vega......"
"Is a very good actor." Ramon smiled and drew his blade. "I have had years to study and recover from what you did to me. And now I am going to beat and humiliate you as well as your family." He shot a quick look at Victoria. "And those you love."
"Senor de la Fuente." Victoria interjected. She didn't know what was going on but she had to find out before something happened to her friend. "Your daughter died because Ramon pushed her. Now you are trying to bring about the....."
"The trial and imprisonment of the man known as Zorro." The commandant smiled.
Ramon turned to Diego and chuckled. "You can come willingly or, and this would be my preference, can resist and we can kill you where you stand."
"There will be none of that, Senor Ramon." Castille interjected. "I have my orders to judge and bring him back to Spain in irons."
"And you are?" Diego asked, trying to contain his growing anxiety. "He needed to know all the players in this little game the former alcalde of Los Angeles was playing if he was going to escape with his life." He chanced a glance at the Royal Guardsmen that surrounded the room. he was beginning to realize that trying to escape with his life might be difficult.
"Francisco Aragon de Castille." The man carried with him a commanding presence and Diego know he must be who he said he was. "Royal Magistrate and sent from the King to render judgment on the man known as Zorro."
"Zorro is a friend to the people." Victoria cried. "That man." She pointed at Ramon. " Did nothing but abuse the people during his rein as alcalde."
"I have already reviewed the charges against the man known as Zorro and I am prepared to render judgment on him here and now."
"Without benefit of a trial?!" Alejandro was beginning to loose his temper. He was bewildered into silence by Ramon returning from the dead and then further silenced by the insane man revealing his own son to be the pueblo's masked hero.
"Records of Zorro's activities have been sent to the King. I am speaking on behalf of King Ferdinand. Think of the words that come out of my mouth as having been said by the King himself." Castille grinned. He couldn't wait for news of this arrest to reach the King. He and his supporters had been looking for a way to remove the King from the throne and this might just be the way to do it. The King hadn't had a good scandal for years. It was about time for one. Unfortunately it would come at this young man's expense. But duty was duty and he had his responsibilities to the revolution and it's supporters in France.
"I am not going to let you arrest my son without due process. A trial must be held and the charges presented. "Alejandro would not let them take his son back to Spain without a fight. He knew that if his son left the pueblo, he would never be seen again.
"Then I will give you a list of the charges here and now." Castille said as Ramon turned to one of the guards.
"Chain him."
One of the Royal Guardsman approached Diego and for a moment he backed away.
He had to make his choice now. Would he go willingly and hope for a fair trial when he reached Spain or should he try to run, with the risk of being killed and his family dishonored, and try to resolve this all later?
He glanced around the room at all of the innocent onlookers. He didn't want to risk them being harmed. He certainly didn't want Victoria, his father or Felipe to be harmed either.
But if he went willingly, he would probably never see them again. If he resisted, they could be shot and killed.
As his eyes came to rest on a very frightened Victoria, his heart ached. He had caused her so much pain and loneliness already and now that she knew the real identity of the man she loved so much, he was being taken away from her. He couldn't cause her any more. The pained look in her eyes convinced him.
He extended his arms and allowed the Guardsmen to clasp the irons around his wrists and ankles.
"Oh. " Ramon sighed. "You disappoint me."
Diego nodded but did not say anything as the Guardsmen took his arms and proceeded to lead him out of the tavern.
"Wait a minute!" Alejandro demanded. " You have no proof other than this man's delusional ramblings." Alejandro tried to push his way closer to his son but was restrained. "I'm sure that man was badly hurt in his fall and it is not out of the question that he sustained brain damage."
"And I want to hear the charges!" Victoria pushed her way to Alejandro . "I'm sure each and every one of us can dispute them. " She looked around the tavern and at all of the heads nodding in agreement.
"I am quite sane, de la Vega." Ramon grinned, his hand never leaving his blade.
"For attempted murder of a public official; Luis Ramon. For the murder of Pablo Zaragosa. For reckless riding within the city gates. For brandishing weapons meant to do or cause harm to government officials. For destruction of public and private property. These are the charges brought against Diego de la Vega, also known as Zorro. "
"Many of these were done in protection of the people of this pueblo." Victoria tried to explain.
"There is no proof of that, Senorita." Castille commented.
"But...."
"Zaragosa's death was accidental. And Diego did not push Ramon. He fell on his own."
"Again, where is your proof?"
"Where is your proof to the contrary?" Alejandro demanded.
"There are witnesses." Castille smiled.
"Who? Where? At Devil's Fortress?" Alejandro demanded. His blood pressure was rising and he could feel himself becoming too agitated. But he couldn't let them take his son without a fight.
"We have already acquired the statements necessary for this conviction."
Ramon cast a quick glance at DeSoto, reminding him of his other task.
"Oh, that's right!" DeSoto strode up to Alejandro, pulling a parchment out of his jacket. "It is my extreme pleasure to present you with this decree. All de la Vega lands are hereby confiscated and will be reserved back to the state for auction. " DeSoto smiled . "There is a very high price to be paid for treason." The crowd gasped as the revelation sent Diego's blood to boiling.
"That is not legal and you know it." Diego turned from where the guards were leading him toward the exit. Even though the guards held a firm grasp on Diego's arms, the strength in those arms just pulled the Guards around so that Diego could glare at the alcalde.
All eyes turned to Diego and the tavern became silent. No one had heard the scholarly caballero use that tone of voice before - with anyone.
"You have no proof that my father had any knowledge of my activities." This verbal confirmation, the first of the evening that he was indeed the man behind the mask, sent the crowd into chaos.
Victoria and Alejandro gaped at the noticeable change that had come over Diego and stared in silence as he spoke.
"That and you have no right to confiscate any lands belonging to my father. I do not own property and thus have nothing for you to take away because of my conviction."
"You...."
"Alcalde. You know the law as well as I. Whether or not you choose to admit this fact." Diego continued. "As the only heir to my father's estate, I would receive the hacienda and all it's adjacent properties but only after my father's death." Diego chuckled and shot a look at his father. " And I expect my father to be around for a long time to come."
Alejandro marveled at his son's knowledge of the grants given to his family and his position within the legal rights of owning the de la Vega property.
"I have also." Diego continued, knowing that this next sentence might hurt his father immensely. " When I assumed this role. I had papers drawn up renouncing my claim to my father's estates should anything happen to him."
"What?!" Alejandro bellowed.
"Father this is to protect you and the land given to you by the King." Diego explained. " This document also indicates that since my father has no other heirs and I have rejected claim to these lands that they should instead revert to my wife, or barring that possibility, the man who has been like a brother to me, Felipe."
Diego turned to the King's Magistrate. "You cannot dispute these papers. They were legally drawn up by one of the best lawyers in the territory."
"Diego, why....?"
"Father." Diego's voice became soft as he tried to explain why he had done this. " I did this to protect this family and the land belonging to us. I knew the possibilities of getting arrested for my activities as Zorro and I did not want any conviction to fall onto your head."
Alejandro shook his head. He knew his son was correct in what he did but it still pained him to know that he had signed away all rights to the lands of his ancestors.
"Wait a minute, Senor." DeSoto held up a silencing hand. " Is that young man of legal age?"
"An inheritance is not determined by age, alcalde and you know that." Diego stared at the man and then turned compassionate eyes on the woman he loved.
"I'm sorry." Those were the only words necessary to cause the tears to spill from the corners of her eyes.
As the guards took hold of Diego's arm and began to lead him out of the tavern, Victoria called out to stop them.
"The ship sails in two days. We leave tomorrow." Castille announce over the murmurs of the crowd.
"Wait!" She pushed her way toward him at the same time looking around for the padre. "Padre?! Padre!?
The priest stepped out of the crowd and she bounded into his arms. "Please, Padre. Marry us."
Diego stopped in mid-step and turned around as much as the guards would allow. "Victoria..."
Castille took compassion on the situation and nodded to the guards to allow her closer.
"Let me through!" She pushed her way to stand in front of Diego.
The guards dropped their hold on Diego's arms and Victoria took the chance vaulted into his embrace.
He lifted his chained hands around her shoulders and embraced her as tightly as he could, whispering soothing words in her ear.
Castille motioned for the guards to stay back. He knew what he was doing regarding this trial was wrong and he wanted to give the accused as much time with his family as possible. He did have a heart, though many would dispute that fact.
"Are you sure?" He whispered as she pressed quick kisses over his face.
He caught her lips with his own and kissed her deeply, nearly taking her breath away.
There was no mistaking that this man was Zorro when he kissed her. The feel of his lips on hers, the strength in his arms as he held her, the mustache as it tickled her upper lip and nose.
"I have never been so sure of anything in my life." Victoria breathed when they parted solely for the need of oxygen.
He nodded, pressing her head into his chest, holding her tightly. He stared at the padre over her head and asked. "Can you marry us right now?"
"Si Diego." He looked to the King's Magistrate for permission.
The man looked away and nodded, amidst the protest from DeSoto and Ramon.
"Enough!" Castille held up a hand to silence the protest "I will grant them a proper wedding and one night of amnesty."
Victoria's breath caught in her throat and she stared up at her husband-to-be.
Diego let out a deep breath and nodded toward the Magistrate. "Thank you."
"Do not thank me, Senor. You will be ready to leave at noon tomorrow." Castille stared at one of his Guardsmen. "I am doing this out of respect for your family's position and nothing more. My Royal Guardsmen will surround your hacienda so there will be no avenue of escape."
"You will be allowed to remain one more night in your hacienda. But know this, any attempt to escape and they will take your place aboard the prison ship." He nodded towards Victoria and his father.
Diego nodded and held out his arms for the Guardsmen to unlatch the chains surrounding his wrists. Victoria stepped away so that they could do the same to the chains around his legs.
Diego reached for Victoria and held her close as they followed the padre to the church. The Royal Guardsmen following closely behind.
"I don't like this." Ramon seethed as the crowd followed the couple to the church.
"Listen." Castille leaned toward Ramon and growled. " You know these charges are not enough to hang this young man."
"Yes but as soon as the scandal reaches Madrid, the King will have no choice but to punish someone responsible for the tarnish on his family name." Ramon whispered. " And you will have more ammunition for your little revolution than you need."
Castille sighed. " One more death for our cause."
The people gathered outside the church to see the couple off. Diego and his new bride would ride in the coach that had brought Ramon, Castille and de la Fuente to Los Angeles.
Felipe and Alejandro were surrounded by Royal Guardsmen as they mounted their horses and readied to follow the carriage.
"Your services will no longer be needed, alcalde DeSoto." Castille said as he entered the carriage behind Diego. " Thank you for your hospitality."
Guards were positioned around the hacienda, in the sala, and even outside the door to Diego's bedroom itself. No one would be able to enter or leave the hacienda and Diego was too otherwise occupied to think about doing so.
"I'm so sorry this had to happen this way, Victoria." Diego whispered as he shut the door to his room and locked it tightly.
Victoria cast a disgusted look at the two guards who positioned themselves across from the doorway. Diego drew her attention back to him with a long, deep kiss that would have knocked her over with it's intensity had he not been holding her tightly to his chest.
Once they were alone she broke down. Tears began to slid their way down her cheeks and the more she wiped at them the heavier they flowed.
"Please, Querida." Diego tried to wipe at the tears but she gripped his hands and wouldn't let them go. "Please don't cry. You don't know how much it breaks my heart to see you so unhappy."
Victoria stared into the loving gaze and leaned against his chest, her tears wetting his white cotton shirt.
"I'm sorry your dreams of a perfect wedding, of a perfect husband..."
She lifted her head, slid a hand from his grasp and placed a finger over his lips to silence him.
"Don't you ever be sorry for anything." She sobbed. It was hard to speak in between the tears but she had to let him know what was in her heart. She had to tell him that his love meant everything to her.
"You gave up a comfortable life. A life of freedom and prestige to help our people." She took a deep breath, the uncontrollable sobs breaking her words. "I should be honored that you chose to fall in love with me."
"I love you more than life itself, Victoria." Diego pressed a kiss to her trembling lips.
No more words were necessary as she became lost in the emotions that he was creating within her and she deepened the kiss.
When they parted, his shirt was soaked with her tears and he stared uncertainly into her lovely brown eyes.
She sniffed back a sob and pulled him towards her as she backed up toward the bed. Her eyes searched his and he read her intentions clearly.
She leaned back into the soft cushions and held out her arms to him.
As he leaned over her, her boldness surprised him. Her fingers began to unfasten the buttons on his shirt until he felt the night chill touch his bare skin. She reached her hands along the steaming flesh, her hands burning everything they touched. He pulled the tails from his sash and the shirt slid from his arms and into a pile on the side of the bed.
He leaned over her and pressed a searing kiss to her lips, his tongue darting into her mouth for the first time.
"I will always love you. Never forget that." Diego whispered, in between urgent kisses.
The tears fell freely down her cheeks and she made no effort to wipe them away. The troubles of the day faded away as dusk fell and all that was left was the exquisite, intense passion her husband awoke within her.
They fell asleep just as the first strands of sunlight cast their rays against the jutting mountainside of the tall Verdugo mountain range, Diego's arms wrapped protectively around his wife as they slept.
Alejandro pulled out a folded letter and sat down next to Victoria on the bench. She was staring up at the stars and he could see the tears sliding down her cheeks shining in the moonlight.
"He wanted me to give you this after he left." Alejandro held out the letter to her and she stared at him for a long moment before taking it.
Alejandro swallowed a sob and continued. "He couldn't bear to see you in any more pain or heartache and," he took a deep breath. "He felt this way was better."
"What is it?" She whispered. Her hands were shaking as she opened the paper.
Alejandro held the lantern closer so that she could read what was written within. the first page that she pulled out was a will and a notarized letter signed by Alejandro, Diego, Felipe, Mendoza and a man whose name she did not recognize. As she read closer she realized that it was a deed naming her sole executor of the de la Vega estate upon Alejandro's death.
Her hands were shook as Alejandro took the parchment from her hands enabling her to read the very personal note Diego had composed to her.
As she started to read, she sobbed, she gave up trying to wipe the tears from her eyes and allowed them to slip down her cheeks.
Alejandro could see her close her eyes and take a few deep breaths. He couldn't let her think she was alone and he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders . He was surprised when she began reading the note aloud.
"Victoria. You don't have to. He said....."
"He is your son and you have every right to know what he has said to me." She managed to say without a sob.
She began reading and Alejandro could no longer be strong for his new daughter. The tears slipped quietly down his face as she read the heartbreaking letter......
My beloved Victoria,
I'm sorry I could not present this letter to you in person. I couldn't bear to see you cry any more. I couldn't bear to see the pain that I have caused reflected in your eyes.
You know I am being taken to Spain in chains but what you do not know is that there will be no new trial and there will be no prison sentence. As a direct descendant to the throne of Spain, my actions, or those perceived of me, will be a disgrace to the crown and punishment will be swift. Whether the King will feel this is necessary or not, protocol will demand that I be executed for the alleged crimes Zorro has committed.
Our night together meant everything in the world to me and I can only hope that something good will come of our union since I will not be there to help with the day to day operation of the hacienda.
Please forgive the mistakes I have made. I tried to do what I thought was best for the pueblo and my family but I didn't do what was best for the woman I loved most in this world. I couldn't hold you for the rest of our lives, I couldn't give you what you most wanted in this world - a life of happiness with your masked bandit.
It is my hope that the revelation of Zorro's identity did not disappoint you. I'm sorry I could not be there with you. To grow old with you. To see the freedom we fought so hard for come to our people.
I have loved you from a distance for too long and only was able to love you up close for a day. But that one day was one that I will never forget and it is my hope that you will carry that memory with you for your lifetime until we meet in Gods heaven to create more.
Hindsight is always clearer but the one thing I would change about the past....I would have told you from the beginning so that our time together would not have been so short.
Take care of my father and Felipe. Victoria, I love you with all of my heart.
Diego
Love has no rhyme or no reason.
It strikes with a passionate fire,
engulfing our hearts in flame.
And only your cool, sweet lips
will quench my burning desire.
Victoria was shaking by the time she finished the letter and she melted into Alejandro's strong embrace. The man held her until she had the strength to sit.
"They are going to execute him." It was not a question.
Alejandro took a deep breath and nodded slowly. He knew his confirmation would either send her into a fit of rage, or cause her to begin sobbing uncontrollably.
Instead, she stared at him calmly, taking a deep breath and said. "I want to be there."
Alejandro's pride in the young woman's courage soared. As painful as it would be to see his son executed, he wanted to be there. He wanted to lend his support, if only visual, and comfort his son as best he could. He would not let his son die alone.
"We leave tomorrow." Alejandro stood and walked back into the hacienda.
A month on the ship was just about all Victoria could bear. As the voyage neared it's completion, Victoria became worried that Diego's ship would have already landed and they would be too late.
Alejandro had to remind her that it would take a few days for the confirmation to come from the King. For the scandal that this would create to be publicized,. This would be a formal execution and all of the important dignitaries would need to be present, if they were not in country the execution would have to wait until they returned, to assure the people that a member of the Royal family was not above breaking the laws.
She had read and re-read the letter from Diego so often that the parchment was wearing around the edges. her tears had wet the paper so often that it was thinning.
Alejandro had vowed that he would demand an audience with the King to see if something could be done about his son's sentence. He had to do something. The de la Vega name had to be good for something. He had never called in favors from those of his friends that still remained in Spain. Now was as good a time as any.
"Alejandro, sit please." Senor Marco Costa de la Solidad, political advisor to the King, extended his hand toward one of the plush chairs.
"Thank you." Alejandro smiled." I'm sure you know why I have come."
Solidad sighed, nodding. "You have no idea how difficult it has been keeping the public from demanding the King's abdication. With all of the problems he has faced at home and abroad, in the war with France, a family scandal is the last thing he needed."
"If I can give you proof that every action Zorro took was against the corrupt government...."
Alejandro stopped as Solidad shook his head. "The people will not hear of it. All they have heard of the man known as Zorro was that he was a murdering bandit who stole cared nothing for the poverty the people in California lived in."
"But certainly....."
"The King's enemies have played this well. They knew just what to do to make sure the King's Throne was tarnished even more." Solidad sighed, leaning back into his chair. "They also knew how to cause the death of an innocent man to get to the King."
"I knew it."
"The people will revolt if Diego is set free and he knows it."
"You've spoken to him?" Alejandro's eyes widened and he stared at the advisor with hope-filled eyes.
"Yes, I have met with him several times." Solidad admitted. " We are keeping him as comfortable as possible until the day comes. " Solidad chuckled. " He is living like a King."
Alejandro realized that the King would not allow a member of his family, especially knowing the innocence of such a member, to rot in a prison until the day of his execution.
"May we see him?"
Solidad started to shake his head and then thought better of it. " I think I may be able to justify you seeing him on the night before the...."
Alejandro nodded, took a deep breath, and asked when that day would be.
"We are awaiting the arrival of one of our allies. He should be arriving in a week."
Alejandro nodded and stood. "Thank you."
"They've been allowing him to stay in the palace?" Victoria asked. Her heart was beating loudly as they ascended the steps in the large, ornate building. Felipe followed quietly, looking around in awe at the huge structure.
"As a relative of the royal family, and because they know this is a political execution, he is being given anything he wants, within reason."
Victoria nodded as they came to the top of steps. She knew which room he was in immediately because of the royal guards standing outside the door.
"You go first, Alejandro."
"No. You are his wife and...."
"You will all go at once." They all turned and Alejandro immediately dropped to his knees before his King. Felipe and Victoria followed seconds later.
"Please Seonra." Ferdinand helped Victoria to her feet and she struggled to control her breathing. " Stand. You certainly do not have to keel at the feet of the man who is causing the death of your husband."
Victoria lowered her head. The desire to rip him to shreds for the execution order of her innocent husband threatened to burst from her chest.
"I wanted to meet with you for a moment before I return to my duties."
"I truly am sorry."
Victoria did not look at him as he turned and retreated down the steps, his long gown sliding gracefully across the polished floor. His attendants turned to follow at a safe distance.
The sound of an opening door turned their eyes toward the guardsmen. One of the men waved them into the open door and the three exchanged looks.
Victoria recovered first and took a few hesitant steps into the room......
The room was like nothing she had ever seen before. She had thought she had seen all the wealth and riches she ever would when she stepped into the de la Vega hacienda for the first time. The wealth of her husbands family paled in comparison.
On the walls hung portraits of famous painters, artists, scholars. This room was filled with a large table and chairs. As Victoria walked through the room she noticed another room that looked to be the sleeping room. She took a few steps towards the door, looking in to see if she could find her husband.
The large bed was draped in a canopy of rich colored silk. Drawers lined the walls within which to put clothing. There was a large, open door on one side of the room, where she could see hanging clothes.
She turned and noticed a large glass door. Sunlight streamed into the room and she assumed that this door led to a balcony. She looked around the room and saw no sign of Diego. She walked quickly to the balcony and found him lying on a plush couch, looking up at the clear blue sky.
She hesitated for a moment, burning the image of the handsome caballero into her mind.
When she spoke, his name was barely a whisper but he turned around at the sound.
His eyes widened upon seeing his beautiful wife and he was on his feet immediately, crushing her in a tight, loving embrace.
He cast a confused yet appreciative glance at his father and then turned his attention back to the beautiful woman in his arms. He pressed kisses to her lips, cheek, eyelids. It had only been a little more than a month but the separation felt like a lifetime.
"I didn't think I would see you again." He whispered between his urgent kisses.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and melted into his arms.
Finally he just crushed her into his chest and held her as she began to cry.
"I am trying to be strong." She sobbed into his chest. " But I don't know how much more...."
"This is why I didn't want you to know." Diego muttered, casting a sedate look at his father. He reached a hand out and his father took it immediately. He was pulled into a tight embrace as was Felipe as the family comforted one another.
"Your father and the boy have until this evening." The Guardsman said as they pulled themselves out of the embrace.
Diego nodded as the Guardsman nodded toward Victoria. "A Guard will return for your wife in the morning."
Breath caught in Victoria's throat and Diego tightened his grip around her waist. They would receive one more night together before the execution.
"Thank you." Diego nodded.
"Don't thank me, Senor." The Guardsman walked to the door and on the way out repeated. " Thank the King."
Several hours later, as the dishes were being cleared from the table, Diego looked around at his family. This was the last night he would see them and he was grateful that his father had made the decision to come.
The door opened and two Guardsman stepped through to escort Alejandro and Felipe from the suite.
Felipe lowered his gaze as they all stood and Diego and Victoria walked them to the suite entrance.
Diego embraced his father tightly, controlling the tears that threatened to slip from tightly closed eyelids. "Please take care of her." Diego whispered for his father's ears only.
Alejandro nodded slowly and pressed a kiss to his son's cheek. Something he hadn't done since Diego was a boy.
He stepped back so that Diego could embrace the boy that he considered to be a younger brother. Had even had plans to adopt. Alejandro had promised Diego that he would adopt the boy as soon as they returned to Los Angeles so that Felipe would always feel a part of a family.
The boy gripped Diego tightly, refusing to release the man who had been like a father to him. Though to young to biologically be that father, Diego had been a parent to Felipe for as long as he could remember.
"I love you, Felipe." Diego struggled to find the correct words to comfort his young friend. "Take care of my father."
The boy nodded and did not attempt to wipe the tear the slipped from his eye.
The Guardsmen escorted the two men out and before the door closed, Diego saluted with the familiar two fingers that everyone had come to know as Zorro's signature.
The door closed and Diego found himself alone with his wife for one last night.
"What more is there to say?" He asked as they walked toward the bedroom and he shut the door.
Her heart was beating rapidly and she didn't know what to say to him, to soothe her fears and his. She had thought of a great many things on the long boat trip and tonight, the last night she would share with her husband, they failed her.
She walked, as if in a trance, around the bed, her hands sliding across the silk and fine material that adorned the mattress.
She leaned into his embrace as he came up behind her and wrapped strong arms around her waist.
"I'm....."
She turned quickly and placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "No more words, my love."
He smiled sadly.
"There is no more time for words." He nodded and bent to press a deep, urgent kiss to her lips.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. The feel of his strong, muscular body pressed tightly against hers, enflamed her anger at the situation they were now faced with.
After this night, she would never again taste his lips, smell the deep, masculine scent of him. She would never again be enveloped in the strong embrace in which he now held her.
He lifted her into his arms and continued to kiss her deeply as he laid her on the mattress. He bent over her, his body resting lightly against hers.
His lips never left hers as his fingers moved to the fastenings of his cotton shirt. He had chosen not to be outfitted in the finery's as befitted a member of the royal family. Instead he wore the clothing of a noble California caballero. He knew he would be required succumb to the will of the King when it came to his execution tomorrow and he wanted to remember his previous life for as long as he was able.
The night was restless for the couple. Diego held his wife throughout the night, pressing kisses to her face and hair.
As the sun filtered though the windows, Diego stared at his slumbering wife. It had felt so natural holding her in his arms. She fit so perfectly. And this would be the last time he held her.
As a bell chimed in the outer room, Victoria stirred. Diego took a deep breath and wrapped his arms tighter around her, wishing for these last two hours to slowly pass.
"What was that?" Victoria mumbled into his chest. She was too comfortable to move. Maybe if she didn't move, her world would still and she could lay in his arms forever.
"The bell indicates that you have another two hours here before the Guardsmen will come to escort you away." He said calmly. He didn't want to discuss this. He just wanted to hold her. A chuckle bubbled from his lips. "A warning, I suppose, so that they do not walk into something that would be embarrassing.
She lifted her head and looked deeply into his eyes. What she saw there frightened and strengthened her.
He was calm in the face of his own execution, but she also saw anger, hatred and fright in those same eyes.
She would have to be strong for him. She would have to assure him in these next two hours that his family would be safe and that she could take care of them. She also wanted to assure the fact that his family line would not die with him.
In anticipation of that goal, she reached a slim hand across his chest and began to massage slow circles over the muscled skin.
His eyes narrowed to small slits and he pulled her atop him, holding her tightly.
"I love you, Victoria." He whispered huskily.
Alejandro held his daughter close as his son was marched out through the large assembled crowd and onto the platform that would mean the end of his life.
The large wooden platform, on which Diego stood, was completely enclosed. It was clear that it doubled as another form of execution device as well. There were blood stains on the wood.
Victoria watched quietly as the noose was lowered over her husband's head. Amidst the cheers and screams of the crowd, Diego turned his head to where he knew his family would be watching.
He wanted them to be the last thing he saw before death claimed him.
"Please keep them safe." Diego prayed as the door beneath his feet swung open.
Victoria could not stop the tears from creeping down her cheeks as the King gave the order to pull the lever. The sound of the wood snapping open startled Victoria and she watched bravely until his eyes no longer looked toward her.
She buried her face in Alejandro's jacket and cried all the way back to her room.......
The next day, as the de la Vega's prepared to leave Spain, a young man approached Alejandro and bade him to follow.
Alejandro nodded and followed the young man to a small chamber where a few well dressed older men waited.
A document was given to Alejandro to take with him back to Spain. It read:
Alta California is no longer a territory governed by Spain and is therefore not subject to the laws that have been set forth by King Ferdinand.
The independent country of Mexico now owns Las Californias and Mexican troops will be arriving shortly to take possession of Los Angeles and the surrounding pueblos.
Spanish troops will be discharged and ordered to return to Spain. Any Spanish troops refusing to leave their posts will be considered an act of treason and will be subject to swift and complete punishment.
The parchment was signed by the King and sealed with the image of the Spanish crown. One sentence below the signature was what Alejandro considered to be the most heartbreaking as well as confusing.
The Spanish Crown will no longer involve itself in the activities of the masked bandit known as Zorro.
Alejandro sighed and bowed his head. His anger flared when he noticed the date on the parchment. It had been written and signed over 6 months ago!
His son didn't need to die. He was, in fact, executed by a government no longer in control of the territory that he lived in.
As a territory of Mexico, anyone living in Las Californias could not be convicted or prosecuted by the Spanish government.
Alejandro was furious and demanded an audience with the King.
The gathered men shook their heads and escorted the enraged father out through another entrance and to the docks where he was joined by the rest of his family.
"Please, Senor de la Vega." The Kings official tried to calm the enraged man. " You will see clearly in time. Please. The ship is ready to depart."
Felipe and Victoria had already settled into their rooms. They had no desire to see their departure from this wretched place. A place that had taken a good and kind man from them because of political positioning. neither of them seemed to care where Alejandro was, so last were they in their own grief.
The official turned and nodded to several ornately garbed men as they escorted another, just as nicely dressed, to the dock.
Alejandro paid the hooded man no mind until he passed and looked Alejandro directly in the eyes. The older de la Vega's eyes widened and his head snapped back to the official he had been arguing with.
"All will be explained in time." The man said and turned to walk away.
Alejandro grabbed his arm and turned him around as guards stepped in to intervene.
The man's eyes sparkled with a mischief that was clear he was not used to. "Do not thank me. Thank the King."
The man turned and walked away, his guards preventing Alejandro from following. Alejandro turned back to where the hooded man had been standing but he was gone.
Alejandro raced up the boarding ramp and toward his assigned rooms when he noticed that there were two Royal Guards, assigned as protection for the executed's family, standing outside his door.
He was not informed that these men would be accompanying them all the way back to California and narrowed his eyes as he approached. The King no longer had any control over California and it was strange that he would be sending an escort back to those shores.
They opened the door as Alejandro approached and he quickly entered the room to find a wide eyed Felipe and a teary eyed Victoria enveloped in the arms of the hooded man he had seen board the ship with the royal escort.
Alejandro could not believe his eyes and he blinked several times to see if what he saw before him was an illusion.
The dark head turned and the blue eyes twinkled as they stared at the motionless form of his father.
Diego moved out of Victoria's tight grip and helped the stunned Alejandro to a seat.
"How?" Alejandro's eyes searched the three faces before him. "What? I don't......"
"Take it easy." Diego's soft voice was music to the old man's ears. " I'll explain everything."
Diego took a seat across from his father and no sooner had his butt touched the seat was Victoria right next to him. He grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist as he began the incredible story.
"On my way to the gallows, I was escorted into an enclosed room. One of the Kings emissaries explained to me what, I believe, you received on a parchment signed by the King." Diego pressed a kiss to Victoria's cheek and continued.
"I was informed of the plan to fake my death and ship me home, originally, on the ship before this one." Diego took a deep breath. " The King thought it best, and less painful, if we were reunited on the ship, rather than a month later."
Alejandro pulled out the parchment that the emissary had given him and unrolled it. " I wondered what this last comment about Zorro meant."
Diego nodded, his mouth widening into a large smile. " The King's way of absolving himself of the Zorro situation and leaving me, who he assumes is dead, free as a Mexican citizen."
"And he saves his political hide in the mean time, with the public execution of Spain's greatest traitor."
"Quite ingenious." Diego agreed.
Victoria rubbed his neck where there were some burn marks from the rope that had squeezed his neck too tightly. Diego tilted his head to one side allowing her better access to the discolored skin.
"I has been a long day and I am exhausted." As if on queue , Diego yawned and Victoria stretched.
Alejandro narrowed his eyes and took Felipe's arm. "Well it is quite clear that we are no longer needed." He huffed.
Diego and Victoria laughed as the door shut behind them.
She slapped him across the chest, as the door shut. " Don't ever do that to me again!"
Diego leaned forward and kissed her, his tongue tasting her as if it was for the first time. They were soon lost in the scent and taste of one another as they did their best to make sure Diego would not be the last de la Vega heir.
Through a crack in the wood doorframe, the sunlight cast it's rising glow on the two forms nestled comfortable in one another's arms.
Victoria moaned and turned away from the sunlight, burying her head in her husbands chest.
He gave a soft chuckle and tightened his arms around her, taking a deep breath. Her hair was soft and smelled like rose petals. He took another deep breath and she shifted her head to turn droopy eyelids on his face.
"Don't move." She murmured, brushing her cheek against his chest.
"Why?" His voice was deep as the remnants of sleep cleared from his head.
"I want to stay in your arms forever."
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her hair. "You no longer have anything to worry about there, my love."
No one would ever learn of the deception involved in freeing Diego de la Vega from the gallows. For when Alejandro returned with the King's document, DeSoto resisted it's authenticity and was arrested when Royal troops arrived in the pueblo to collect all that belonged to the Spanish government.
Elsewhere in the territory, Commandant de la Fuente and Luis Ramon were also arrested and sent back to Spain in disgrace. Magistrate Castille was found and beheaded as the last execution of Ferdinand's reign.
Before Ferdinand left the throne, he had eliminated all conspirators in the unjust arrest of his very distant cousin, Diego de la Vega.
Diego did not set foot inside pueblo de Los Angeles until there was no trace of the Spanish army remaining in the pueblo.
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