Chapter 9 - Epilogue

Alejandro was happy about the engagement. He had never guessed that his son was in love with Victoria but he understood now why Diego had never shown any inclination to marry. Only in the last days it had become clear to Alejandro that Diego was feeling more than brotherly affection for Victoria. The concern he had displayed and the way he had cared for her had revealed the feelings for Victoria that he had never allowed to surface before.

The reaction of de Soto was not suspicion as they had expected, instead he found their engagement quite amusing.

"I remember Don Diego saying that the pen is mightier than the sword. And now look at this, he has quite proven his point. Poor Zorro, after all these years of fighting his love was taken away by someone who can hardly wield a sword. He won her away with a mere speech. All that courting and the compliments over the years and now this. It's so funny. Maybe we have seen the last of Zorro after all. I wish Don Diego all luck with his Victoria. He doesn't stand a chance with this woman, I don't think he can handle her." He couldn't stop laughing for some time.

Diego couldn't suppress a smile either when Mendoza recounted de Soto's reaction. This was better than he had ever anticipated.

"There is one thing I don't understand", Mendoza said, "why didn't Zorro try to save Senorita Victoria? He couldn't have planned all that?"

"Well, he did write that letter to The Guardian and he asked some people to come to the plaza", Don Alejandro remarked, "but he couldn't have known that Diego would be able to hold a speech like that. You surprised us all Diego. If he could have planned it, it would have been a Masterpiece of cunning."

"I think we'll never know Don Alejandro," Mendoza added, "but with Zorro anything is possible. He really is a fox."