The most memorable Wedding in Los Angeles

Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.

Chapter 1

"Did you hear the news about Victoria?" Alejandro asked Diego over lunch.

"What news?" Diego asked, alarmed. After he had ridden all night as Zorro, he had risen late and was still tired from his lack of sleep.

"I'd never thought that of her, but obviously it's true."

"What news? What about Victoria?" Diego asked again, irritated.

"Victoria announced her engagement today."

"Her engagement to Zorro?" Diego guessed though they had agreed to keep it a secret.

"No, not to Zorro," his father corrected him. "She's going to marry Don Pablo Punson."

"Victoria and Don Pablo? That can't be!" Diego said. "He proposed to her before, playing the guitar in the tavern, and she rejected his proposal straight away and even threatened to burn his guitar if he didn't stop singing."

"She spent the night with Don Pablo Punson at his hacienda. They both returned about mid-morning to the pueblo. Of course, Don Pablo did the right thing and announced their engagement. The wedding will take place in three weeks."

"There must be a mistake. She is in love with Zorro!" Diego said, trying to hide his shock.

"Didn't we all think so?" his father said. "It seems she was tired of waiting, and now she has chosen someone else. I'd never thought she'd spend the night with him before the wedding. That's really scandalous. It's good that they don't want to wait. Who knows how long this has been going on."

"Maybe we should talk to Victoria first and give her the chance to explain herself?" Diego suggested.

"She spent the night with him. What else is there to say? No matter what, her reputation is ruined. I will ride to the pueblo later and congratulate her to her engagement. Do you want to join me?"

"I don't know yet. I have to check my experiences first." Diego excused himself quickly after dessert to slip into the cave where he could let his emotions run free. He sat down at his desk and hid his face in his hands. He had lost Victoria. How could this happen? Hadn't they kissed only a week ago? Victoria had assured him of her love and promised to wait for him. And now she was going to marry another?

Z Z Z

After siesta, Diego joined his father on his ride to the pueblo, pretending he wanted to congratulate her on her engagement too.

The tavern was more crowded than usual for a normal weekday and Diego noticed how the men threw glances at Victoria while she was busy serving her customers.

"Hola Victoria," his father said friendly, as she came to serve them. "I heard congratulations are in order though your engagement to Don Pablo is quite a surprise."

"Thank you, Don Alejandro," Victoria said with a forced smile.

"Is everything all right?" Diego asked. "You don't look very happy. May I ask why you suddenly agreed to marry Don Pablo? I thought you were in love with Zorro?"

"I'm fine, Diego, and my engagement is none of your business," Victoria rebuked him. "What can I get you to drink?"

"I don't know what to think about this, Father," Diego said, after Victoria had left their table. "I can't believe she suddenly fell in love with Don Pablo."

"It may not be a love match, but Don Pablo is rich and can offer her a home and a family; something that Zorro never can. In any case she'll be better off than with an outlaw. Who wants to blame her if she's tired of waiting though the circumstances aren't the best either, considering her ruined reputation."

"Father, you can't really believe that of Victoria."

"It doesn't matter why she agreed to marry Don Pablo, but I don't think there will be any future for her and Zorro. Why would Zorro take her back now?" Alejandro shrugged.

"Father, please, don't talk about her like that," Diego said, looking concerned in Victoria's direction. Was his father right? Had she really spent the night with Don Pablo? Was everything lost now? With a frown he noticed Don Pablo sitting at a table in the back of the tavern with his friends, ordering more wine on the house to celebrate the engagement and from their inebriated state it wasn't their first bottle.

Diego followed Victoria into the kitchen, as she took the empty bottle to replace it. She turned around with a fright as she hadn't heard him coming.

"Don Pablo is having a good time with his friends celebrating and from their noise I'm guessing they have been at it for some time. How long have they been celebrating on your cost? Since the morning?" he guessed, and when Victoria only bit her lip, he knew he was right. "Why haven't you joined the happy celebration? Do you want to tell me what happened?"

For a moment she looked as if she wanted to cry, but then she pressed her lips together to suppress her tears and shook her head. "I'm fine, Diego. Why can't you leave me alone?"

He sighed. "If you need a friend to talk to, I'm here." As he left the kitchen, he passed by Don Pablo and his friend who had started to grow impatient and ask why it took her so long to bring the wine.

"I'm not sure everything went right with Victoria's engagement," Diego stated on the ride home with his father. "Don Pablo was way too happy, and Victoria appeared more sad than happy."

"You may be right, Diego," his father said, "but with her ruined reputation, it's her only option to marry Don Pablo. She may not have planned it, but after some time she will realize that it's better to marry and have a family now. With our current alcalde Zorro will never be free to marry her, if he doesn't die in his fight."

His father had expressed his greatest fear, and it left him depressed. Was there no more future for him and Victoria?