Strange World

 

Part 1

 

 

It’s a lovely day like yesterday. Today the plaza is crowded with shopping citizens of the pueblo Los Angeles. It is good to see the people being happy, and smiling to each other. It has been a week since the Emissary has past this way. The smell of fresh fruit, and flowers lingers in the air. Colours of cloths like satin, wool, and leather make the plaza look more fantastic than it normally does. The chatting of the people make Los Angeles, seem to be an enormous city.

Still Don Diego is not feeling quite as happy, as other people do. He had a twin brother. His life is passing through his mind again, and again. How he grew up at the De la Vega hacienda, how he watched Victoria as a young boy, how painful it was to leave her behind, when he went to Spain, how glad she was to his return. Unfortunately he had to hide his feelings, as he became Zorro. He clenches his fists. If only the Alcalde would be gone, and a friendly one could take his place. I need not to be Zorro again, and then I could ask Victoria to marry me, but what if she doesn’t want to?

**"Who is proposing? The man or the legend?"

"The man, so what is your answer?"

"Yes, absolutely yes. I’m so sleepy."**

But what if… He shouldn’t be thinking that. He should find a way to make Victoria see his strong side. Shaking his head he walks to the taberna owned by his lovely friend.

"¡Buenos tardes!" Victoria greets him, but after she notices his sad eyes, she asks him what the matter is. Being unaware of his discomfort, he just says he was thinking about the cattle, and asks for a lemonade. Knowing her friend better, she feels something more is going on. She never had seen him troubled for so long. "Are you sure?" she replies while handing over the drink. "You can always talk to me."

"¡Gracias! I’m quite alright. How is everything going here?" he asks changing the subject. She was busy, but nothing remarkable happened. Within a half an hour, it will be quiet because of the coming siesta. It happened to be so hot the last few days that it was necessary to have one.

"Do you know the man over there?" pointing with his eyes to the single man, eating his arroz con pollo.

"No, he doesn’t speak much, but he has been here, since last week for just one night. He is very polite. Why?"

"Oh just curious. I had never seen him before." Still doubting and staring in his glass, he tries to figure out how to tell his love who he is.

Meanwhile Victoria is cleaning some tables; soon she will be able to have her siesta. She hopes Zorro will appear whom she hadn’t seen for a week. Hopefully he is alright. She still wants to find out who he is. Who could he possibly be?

Don Diego watches the new stranger. Strange, his strange behaviour has something suspicious. Something wasn’t right. Last week he also noticed him just sitting, and looking around in the taberna. He looks away when the stranger stares into his eyes. Don Diego isn’t feeling at ease under his look. It is just the same feeling as he first faced his twin brother. Although this was a little different. He cannot place this feeling. He had to find out what his plans are. He gets back on earth as Victoria lays her hand on his arm asking the question again,

"Are you alright Diego?

"Victoria," he sighs, "I’d like to talk to you after you’ve finished work." It is no problem. Now I don’t have another choice, he thinks. How will I tell her? I find out at the moment itself, and he ends up doubting by walking to the stranger for a chat. I have to know why something doesn’t fit with this man. The way he walks reminds him of an unmannered woman's walk. But still he has a moustache, but his head is so tight up at his throat like he is hiding something.

"¡Buenos tardes! allow me to introduce myself. I’m Don Diego de la Vega. May I join you?" His friendly smile shouldn’t cause a fight. The person waves as an invitation.

"Who are you?" Diego continues

"Salvador Gillerance," he mumbles. His voice sounds odd, Diego thinks, but he also got a little shocked by hearing this name. He had used that name on his way to the Devil’s fortress. He masks his shock by asking him how he likes the pueblo.

"Nice," is the answer.

Don Diego asks him what his business is.

"Just travelling" he says indifferent, but he whispers more affected afterwards" and catching Zorro."

"I wish you luck then," Diego says dryly but lowing his voice.

"Not necessary." Diego doesn’t move a muscle, "'cause I have already found him."

Salvador’s eyes are looking right into his saying he meant Don Diego.

Trying to hide his discomfort, Diego says he does not know what he means, and stands up to get back to Victoria.

"You sure do, señor." Salvador still sits easy and looks self-confident at the rich caballero in front of him.

"Good day," are the last words Diego says before he turns to Victoria. A few customers are in the building, and are told to leave because the siesta will start.

Don Diego wishes Victoria a good rest, but she asks him if they needed to talk, as they spoke of a few moments ago.

"No, I forgot I had to help father with the cattle," he lies.

Victoria thinks this strange but doesn’t object. Diego leaves the taberna, and is waiting outside for questioning the strange person. There he is, coming out the tavern, and walking around the building. There, Don Diego catches the man as he tried to step into the tavern by the backdoor.

"What have you planned, señor?" Don Diego asks him not friendly, holding his grip on the man.

"Questioning the beautiful lady," was the painful remark, but still it sounded hoarse and squeezed at the same time.

"Did you?" Diego got angry at this lie. "I’d doubt that. What makes you think anyway me to be Zorro," holding the man against the wall.

"You are, because you are never there, when something happens," the voices sounds weaker and more painful, but it continues. "I wouldn’t hurt that lady!"

But Diego still doesn’t believe him. So Salvador leads Diego’s intention to another direction, "Why do you bother, because she is your friend, your love? As Zorro it is so easy to gain it …"

Now Diego was so angry at him, that he hit him against the wall for these words.

"Aw, you hurt me," yelled a young women’s voice in front of him. He took off the hat. Her brown hair falls down upon her shoulders. Seeing a beautiful young woman with a moustache, instead of Salvador is quite a shock to him. He never had hit a woman before. Not even Victoria when she was irritating, and challenging him when she was young.

"I’m sorry" he stuttered confused. At this moment Victoria came outside for looking what was going on at her backdoor.

"Don Diego, what is going on?" She finally finds words at this strange situation. She feels a little embarrassed, seeing her friend so close to the man who turned out to be a woman. She gets angry, and walks into the building without waiting for an answer.

"Wait Victoria, " Diego tries to save himself. She doesn’t listen. Before he gets the chance to walk after her "Salvador" has entered the building.

"Nothing is going on, I made him angry. I’m sorry Victoria, I never meant to hurt you."

"Salvador" tries to make the woman listen to her.

Diego stands behind "Salvador" quiet angry, but wanting to have this misunderstanding out of the world. "Who are you and why are you dressed as a man?" He angrily removes the fake moustache, which was painful, but Leone doesn’t show it.

"I am Leone de Corazón" she answers honestly. "The only way for a woman travelling alone is to dress as a man I thought." And adds; "Victoria I never would have seduced your fiancé."

Diego shocks again at this last remark, and wants to change the subject, but Victoria cuts in. "He is not my fiancé, but were just friends. Why do you think that?" She looks at her friend, and thought of so many thoughts she has had over him last month. Don Diego would be good to her, but could he love her? He has no passion; no interest in politics or any other thing that make you survive this rough place.

"Why are you here alone?" Diego asks before Leone could answer.

She understands the risk by answering Victoria questions, and decides to forget about them.

"Havin’ a little fun," she turns to Don Diego, "during travelling. I heard a lot of this fine place, so I came to visit it. But I have to leave, because you were having a chat, I understood."

Before Diego or Victoria could say a thing, she already disappears. It is a bit rude to leave them so perplexed behind, but Leone doesn’t care. It’s for the best.

Victoria looks at Diego, still not understanding what had happened.

"Can you explain this to me?" she tries to break the silence.

"No," is the only reply she gets. Changing the subject she asks him about what he wanted to talk to her. He just stares at her finding a word. After a second he asks her about Zorro.

"I haven’t seen him since the Emissary had died," she answers a little sad.

"You still love him, don’t you?" subsidizes Diego further.

"Yes, but why do you ask?"

"I don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all."

Victoria can’t believe this, and looks her friend in his eyes. "You didn’t want to talk about this, when you asked me, right?"

"No," he confesses and avoiding her eyes.

"Is something wrong with your father?" Victoria has become curious after Diego’s troubles.

"No, No, he is alright. I… I wanted to ask you to join us at dinner tonight." He finally answers. At the same time he gets angry inside for not being able to tell how he truly feels.

With an uncomfortable laugh she asks him, "About that you’ve been so hard to ask me about?"

Feeling weaker and weaker by the reply he says that being a bit tired, and he needs some siesta too. He wishes her goodbye and leaves.

Victoria is perplexed. She never thought her friend to act like this to her.

I wish Zorro finally came to marry me. On the other hand, Diego is quite handsome as well, but could he be a true lover to her? She doubts that. But something was in his eyes. It reminds her of someone else’s, but she can’t remember whom. Why did she get upset and angry, by seeing Diego in front of the young woman, whose back was against the wall and was wearing those male clothes. Those clothes belonged to the man who just sits in her taberna with whom Diego had a conversation before the siesta. Somehow they looked like lovers, but on the other hand Leone, as she called herself, thought she and Diego were engaged. Funny and strange, indeed.

"How could I be so stupid," Diego thought. "What will Victoria think of me? What does that young woman want from me? I will have to find out." Then suddenly from behind he gets a response on his thoughts

"You still haven’t told her, right?"

How could he drop his awareness? He wonders. When he looks behind him, he sees the young woman riding behind him. He hadn’t heard her coming towards him.

"Who are you," Diego is getting angry with her, "and what do you want from me?"

"Nothing, I just .. let’s say I’ll be your guardian," she smiles mysterious at him. "You’ve waited long enough to marry her."

Don Diego doesn’t understand a thing she says. Seeing her questioning handsome face Leone gets him at ease by saying, "I know a lot about you Don Diego. You’re very handsome, intelligent, but sometimes you just don’t listen to your heart. I think you need a woman’s advice sometimes."

Don Diego, demanding his horse to stand still, looks her in the eyes,

"Don’t play games with me, I’m not in the mood. If you are …"

"Then I will have to face Zorro, which I already do," ending the story Leone looks away. "Don’t worry, I’ll never tell any one," Now she looks so serious, that she could be a statue. "I cross my heart, and hope to die, if I do." Waiting on the reaction, Leone looks at her companion. He looks handsome indeed, but no he is too old for her. He could be her father.

"We aren’t getting anywhere, if you keep answering my questions like this," he finally replies.

"Just accept it as it is, you can’t control everything. Though some things you can, but won’t."

Where in the world has she the nerve to say what I must, and shouldn’t do? I don’t know her, what is she up to? She did answer. Giving advice to me. "Where are you from," is his last try to find something out.

"San Diego, señor." She was there two days ago.

Don Diego can tell she’s not stupid, but how on earth could she know what she just said. What will he do with her?

"What makes you think I am Zorro," maybe this answer could give him the answer what to do with her.

"You look like him, you talk like him, but you do your best to hide your feelings towards Victoria, you also pretend not caring about this pueblo, etc. etc. I’m very sorry to say it but your brother saw you through." She pauses.

His brain is turning upside-down at these words. "I hope that you will do no harm, but what are your intentions?" To his surprise she hasn’t got a clue. "You know, everybody who knows, is in danger?"

She only nods, and wonders what he is thinking of.

"You’re here on your own, right? Don’t you have any relatives or friends here?

She shakes her head.

"I don’t know how much I can trust you, so I want you in my surroundings, but…" he warns and she nods as an agreement although she doesn’t know on what. "You tell everyone who asks you, that you’re my friend's daughter. Your father will be Juan deMarco, and has sent you to me for your own protection. Everybody knows the king has enemies, and he has his friends to protect him." No one could deny this demand by seeing Diego’s eyes spitting fire. "If you dare to mislead Victoria in anyway, you’ll have a big problem, señorita," he adds his statement with an even more killing look.

"You’ll have my word forever," Leone promises, but being a little scared as well. Diego sees this, and finds himself comfortable again.

 

 

 

Fan fiction

Part 2