Infatuation

Disclaimer: Fireworks, etc

Synopsis: A young girl is infatuated with the Queen of Swords

By Jim Guy

Rating: PG

"Maria Elena, that lazy child. Just as worthless as that camp following mother of hers." Don Dominguez yelled as he searched for the girl that he had reluctantly put to work after her mother died. The girl’s father had been a soldier in El Pueblo de San Diego.

"Hush husband, I told her she could go to the pier to see the supply ship come in."

"How dare you try usurp my authority? You are a woman and nothing more." He backhanded her across her face. Fear showed in the woman’s face.

"I will show that daughter of a whore what it means to disobey me." He took his bullwhip down from the wall rack, went out side and mounted his horse. He raced away towards the pueblo.

Maria Elena saw her employer ride into the pueblo and hid from him. She knew the terror that the whip would bring if he found her. She had come to the pueblo, not to watch the ship but to stow away. She knew the ship would be going North along the coast. First El Pueblo de Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Helena, Monterey and El Presidio de San Francisco. She had to leave or she would kill that pompous arrogant pig.

Maria Elena had thought long about running away. She had packed what meager clothing she had and a little food and water. When she had tried to express an opinion or an idea, the Don had put her down telling her she was only a girl. She was worth less than an old cow that could no longer produce milk.

Darkness set in and she knew that the ship would not leave until high tide early in the morning. Stealthily, she crept to the ship and boarded, finding a hiding place in the hold. It may be dark, dank and smelly, but it was safety. The gentle movement of the ship lulled her to sleep.

Several days later, Maria Elena knew that she had to get off the ship. The rats were becoming aggressive and the motion of the ship had already caused her to heave several times. Her stomach was empty and she was weak. She stole her way to the deck and realized that this port had no pier. She couldn’t get on a long boat, so she would have to swim. Gathering her belongings, she silently let herself over the port side. The starboard side faced the shore.

She swam for all her worth and was almost at her strengths end when a hand grabbed her. A woman in black and wearing a lace mask was pulling her ashore.

"Thank you for saving me but who are you? How did you know I needed help?"

"I am the Queen of Swords. I sometimes come and watch the ships unload and dream. I saw you on the deck and watched you slip over the side. What is your name girl, and why are you running away from the ship?"

"I am Maria Elena Santiago." She held herself straight and proud. "My mother is dead and I do not know who my father was. He was a soldier. I went to work for a Don who whipped me and punished me for being who I was. He always told me that I was a worthless slut. I am not. I am an intelligent woman and I need no help from others."

"Yes I can see that. That’s why I had to drag you the last 100 yards to shore. Look, we can’t stay here all day, the soldiers may see me and I can’t have that. Come you will ride behind me."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe for you. I know of a Dona and her Duena who might be able to help you. They are kind people and the Dona does not whip her workers."

"What about her husband?"

"She has never been married." The Queen nudged Chico into a trot and a while later, they arrived at the Alvarado hacienda.

Marta was in the garden and saw the Queen ride up.

‘Buenos Dias, Reina, como esta?"

"Muy bien, Gracias, Marta. A donde esta Senorita Alvarado?"

"My mistress went riding a little while ago but should be back shortly. How can I help you?"

"This young lady needs a place to stay and perhaps you can use a helper. She has been on a ship for two days and is hungry, tired and . . ."

Marta sniffed. "And she could use a bath and clean clothes. Como se llama, Senorita?"

"Mi llama es Maria Elena Santiago, Senora. Mi amigos call me Elena."

"Madre Dios, two of them." Marta looked at the Queen who smirked as she turned Chico to leave. "Adios y Gracias, Senora Marta."

A short while later Maria Teresa Alvarado entered the secret passage. "Bless you Marta." On the table were her riding clothes. Quickly changing into Tessa, she went back out of the passage and into the stables. Then she proceeded to enter the hacienda.

"Marta, I am home."

"Tessa, we have a visitor."

"Oh is Doctor Helm here?"

"Why are you ill?"

"Marta, someday I may be Senora." \Senora Helm\ Tessa smiled to herself at the thought.

"Not if you can’t catch him. The man is standing still and you still haven’t caught him." Marta had a gleam in her eye and Tessa gave her a wicked grin.

"Marta, who are you thinking of?"

"Oh, any man."

"If not Doctor Helm, then who is our visitor?"

"May I present, Maria Elena Santiago. Elena, this is Senorita Maria Teresa Alvarado."

Tessa held out her hand. "My friends call me Tessa." The girl stood proud "My friends call me Elena."

Marta groaned. "To see the two of you is like looking at Tessa’s younger self. Same hair color, same complexion, same build. Elena how old are you?"

"I am sixteen, why?"

"You two look like sisters." Tessa and Elena looked at each other. Elena was wearing some of Tessa’s clothes. "Marta, you are right, Elena is like looking into a mirror."

"Senorita, Senora, I don’t wish to be rude but what can you tell me about the Queen of Swords?"

Marta and Tessa looked at each other and Elena.

"I have never know such a strong caring woman. She is confident, the kind of woman I want to be. No man would tell her that she is worthless."

Tessa took Elena’s hands in her own. "No she is not worthless. She fights against injustice, yes, but she is always looking over her shoulder. Would you want to be hunted by every bounty hunter for a thousand Reales reward? That is what Montoya has put on her head. I am sure she doesn’t like that. Would you?"

"If that what it takes. Now tell me who she is and why she wears the mask and carries a sword."

The three sat down as Tessa and Marta explained who the Queen of Swords was, what dangers there were and why she rode, as far as they knew. Tessa and Marta both knew that Elena was infatuated with the Queen and if she was not taken under their wing, it could possibly present a problem or it could be an advantage. One thing the three of them agreed on was that it would not be a good idea for Senorita Santiago to be seen in town for the time being.

Don Dominquez had ridden hard for several days. He missed the ship in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Hopefully he would catch his quarry in this next town. He had been furious when he arrived at home from the pier. His wife chided him for being a fool for chasing Maria Elena. He turned on her and hit her over and over again in the face. He had packed his gear and rode out after the girl.

As he road along the long trail, he remembered his mother. There had been rumors that she was sleeping with another man but nothing proven, until that fateful day. His father had taken him out riding when he was ten years old. Upon their return, they had found the mother in the arms of a soldier. In the father’s bed. The soldier had managed to escape, but his father had taken a bullwhip to the woman as her lover ran her out of the house. The last time Don Dominguez had seen his mother had been an accident. He was sixteen and some friends had taken him to a whorehouse to experience a woman for the first time. Each boy was led to the service room by the madam. Don Dominquez entered the dark room as the whore lit a lamp. The whore turned around and Don Dominquez was looking into the face of his mother. He ran out and never looked back.

Since then all women were whores as far as he was concerned. He made it his mission to punish any woman who crossed him and his whip had bit the back of several during his lifetime.

He saw the outline of Santa Helena in the distance. His horse could make it and then he would have to change horses, as his was almost dead.

Two days later, Senorita Alvarado and Marta were shopping in town. Tessa saw Vera and walked toward. Suddenly a whip snaked out and trapped Tessa around the arms.

"There you are you filthy peasant whore. Running away from me, will you? I will whip you all the way from here to San Diego." An angry Don Dominguez strode towards the entrapped Tessa.

At that very moment, Colonel Montoya, Captain Grisham, Doctor Helm and several dons were coming out of a meeting hosted by the Colonel.

"Senor, if you do not release Senorita Alvarado this instance, I will have you shot on the spot."

Don Dominguez wheeled on the Colonel but did not release Tessa.

"This bitch daughter of a whore ran away from my hacienda in San Diego after beating my wife half to death. I will take her back to San Diego today, after all I am Don Dominguez."

"Don Dominguez you have made a terrible mistake. You have accosted a Dona in public with a whip and your vile tongue. Senorita Alvarado is the daughter of one our most illustrious dons, God rest his soul. She was born here but raised in Spain. She returned two years ago with her duenna when her father died. I can personally vouch for her identity and integrity."

Colonel Montoya stared into Don Dominquez’s eye.

"Now release her."

"No, you cannot fool me I know my property when I see it."

"Property? Slavery of a Spaniard in Alta California is against the law. Captain Grisham, if he has not released Senorita Alvarado when I count three, kill him."

Captain Grisham raised his pistol, cocked it and placed it against the don’s head.

"One"

"Two"

"Th"

"Alright, but you haven’t heard the last of this I can prove that this sixteen year old puta is mine. She has whip marks across her back."

"You have whipped a young girl and are proud of it? Senorita Alvarado is not sixteen."

Don Dominguez unwrapped the whip. Then he tried to backhand Tessa, who ducked. Instead he turned her around and ripped the back of her blouse away. Tessa screamed. Grisham cracked him over the head with his pistol. Don Dominguez collapsed but was still conscious.

Don Gaspar quickly removed his coat and covered Senorita Alvarado. Tessa was embarrassed and furious. She hung onto Gaspar’s coat like a robe. She started to faint but was caught by one the Dons.

In her anger, Marta grabbed the whip and tried to beat the unconscious don with the whip handle. Two of the dons took the whip away from her. Marta was still storming and tried to take Grisham’s sword out of its scabbard. She was unsuccessful as Doctor Helm wrapped her in his arms. Two of the dons pulled their own swords but were stopped by Colonel Montoya. Loudly, the dons demanded that this pero be hung. Two soldiers pulled up Don Dominquez to a standing position. Don Gaspar pulled his own sword and held it to Don Dominguez’s throat. Montoya put his hand on Don Gaspar’s sword hand. "My friend, as insulting as this man’s behavior is, do not commit murder in my sight."

Don Gaspar removed his sword. He deftly belted Don Dominquez in the mouth with his sword hilt. Don Dominguez slumped unconscious in the soldier’s arms.

Don Dominguez woke up in Hotel Montoya as some people called the jail. Doctor Helm was tending the don’s head wound.

"Why am I here? This is an outrage I am a Don. I will have someone’s head. I haven’t done anything." wailed the don.

"Don Dominguez, perhaps the crack on the head made you forget your behavior."

"My behavior?"

"Yes. First you ride into town and accost a well know and well liked Dona in public. Second you curse her and call her vile names that a lady should not be subjected to. Third you rip off her clothes in front of the military commander and most of the local dons. You are lucky you didn’t wake up dead. That may still be a possibility."

"Why when that whore goes free?"

"You still don’t get it do you? Here you need a bandage, do it yourself."

"You are a doctor, I demand that you care for me."

"I am also a good friend of Senorita Alvarado’s and have known her for the two years I have been here. You claim the girl you are looking for is sixteen and ran away a few days ago. You have made a mistake."

"I couldn’t have said it any better myself, Doctor." Colonel Montoya stood in the doorway of the jail.

"Don Dominguez, I have had an interesting message from San Diego. The Commandant sent a rider to Santa Helena. The man is exhausted. It seems that your wife is alive and has claimed that you were the one that beat her. Considering your attack on Senorita Alvarado I can believe her. She also says that she had given the girl in question permission to visit the pier and you flew into a fit. The rider, when he has rested will escort you back to San Diego in chains. You are to stand trial for your actions. I have a choice, San Diego or Monterey. In Monterey you will hang most definitely."

"You can’t do this."

"Oh but I can. This is my pueblo, not yours and I am the law. If I let you go, how could I explain that to the people that I am protecting them? Besides, you are just liable to attack Senorita Alvarado again."

"What about that whore?"

"Please, your vile language is offending my delicate hearing. If you persist, I will have you gagged. As for the girl, well if she is here, then she is welcome. Slavery is illegal. Your wife said that the girl was hired not bought, therefore she has the right to leave your employ. Attacking free people will not be tolerated."

"I demand to be released."

Colonel Montoya sighed and lowered his shaking head. "Don Dominguez, you still persist in ignoring the obvious. You will remain here until the guard takes you home. When you are ready to leave, I will have you brought to my office. If you attempt to escape or attack any individual in this pueblo, you will not leave Santa Helena alive. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Don Dominguez mumbled something.

"I can’t hear you."

"Yes I understand."

"Good, thank you for your assistance, Doctor. Shall we retire to the cantina for a drink to wash this unpleasantness away?"

"Colonel, we don’t agree on much, but this time we are in agreement."

The two men left, leaving the don to bandage his own head.

True to his word, Colonel Montoya had Don Dominguez brought to him a couple of days later. As the guard escorted the prisoner from Montoya’s office, Tessa and Marta arrived in town. As the ladies were dismounting from the carriage, Don Dominguez spied his nemesis. He broke away from the guard and grabbed another guard’s rifle. He cocked it and aimed it at Tessa.

A shot rang out. The bullet hit its intended target and entered the head and shattered the brain. Women screamed and everyone took cover as Don Dominguez fell to the ground. Captain Grisham holstered his smoking pistol. Tessa and Marta picked themselves up from the ground.

Tessa approached Grisham and Montoya.

"I owe you my life Captain. You have finally shown that you are protecting this pueblo. Colonel, I was coming to see you and ask that you be kind to Don Dominguez and forgive him as I have. The man proves just what hate will do."

"I am afraid you are correct, Senorita. I give thanks that you were unharmed."

"Colonel, I also came to tell you that the young woman in question is indeed in Santa Helena, a guest on my hacienda."

"My, my. How did she come to your hacienda?

"The Queen of Swords rescued her from the ocean and brought her to my home. She was terrified, tired, hungry and in need of medical assistance. Marta provided that. The girl had been severely whipped and there are at least fifteen whip marks across her back."

"What will you do with her?"

"For the time being she will be my guest until she is strong enough to decide what she wants. It is like having a younger sister, Colonel and poor Marta. She thought she had a terror on her hands with me, now there are two of us to torment her." She snickered.

Several days later, Tessa, Elena and Marta were relaxing on the patio when a vaquero rode up. "Senorita, Pablo Garcia, a peon from one of the other haciendas has been arrested for stealing."

"What did he steal?"

"A little food from a storekeeper so he could feed his family. It was a bag of beans."

"Thank you Juan." The vaquero left.

"Elena, Marta, I am really warm. I think I will take a nap before dinner."

"You are going to sleep while a man may hang? Tessa, how can you do that?"

"Elena, I am a woman, what do I know of the law?"

"You could fight them like the Queen of Swords does."

"She is a vigilante who fights with a sword. What do I know of such things?"

Elena left the patio in a huff.

"Marta, hold my dinner. I think Chico needs to stretch his legs a bit."

"Please be careful this time."

"I always am."

"Right. I guess the bullet holes and swords cuts in your blouse are figments of my imagination."

Later in the evening a black dressed figure crept through the shadows of Santa Helena. Entering the jail, she found the keys to the cell and went to release the prisoner. To her surprise, the cell was empty.

"Looking for someone, Reina?" Grisham stood at the doorway. The only way in or out. In his hand, pointed at her, was a cocked pistol.

"It was a setup?"

"Very good, Reina. I see you haven’t lost your reasoning power. Now drop your sword and take off your mask."

"Why don’t you lower your pistol and take off your pants and jacket, Captain." The point of a sword pressed against his neck. He slowly unbuttoned his jacket and shirt, tossing them to the imposter Queen. He pulled off his boots and then his pants. The pants followed the shirt and pants. Slowly he started unbuttoning the long johns.

"Leave the long johns on, Captain this is not a social call."

"Maybe not but we could have more fun."

"In your dreams Captain. You do seem to lose your uniform very easily."

"Senorita imposter, put the clothes on over your own quickly. Captain, if you please." She urged him into the cell and locked it. She laughed as she placed the keys on the floor, just out of his reach.

"Sweet dreams, Captain."

Behind the jail they found Grisham’s horse. Their own horses were across open ground and dawn was fast approaching. The two mounted the white stallion and rode to their own horses where the Queen jumped over to Chico and grabbed the reins on the imposter’s horse. They galloped out of town.

As soon as the Queen was sure they were not being followed she pulled up. "Take the Captain’s clothes off and give them to me." The imposter did as she was told. The Queen tied the clothes to the Captain’s horse and sent it home.

"Now then young lady, we will go to a place where we can have a woman to woman talk. Blindfold yourself with your sash." The queen the led the imposter’s horse to a secluded canyon, where the Queen normally found some solace. She untied the young woman’s blindfold. "Get down."

"I don’t know how to thank you for saving me."

The Queen whirled on the imposter. "Don’t do it again. Do you know what would have happened if I had not come along? Grisham would have captured you and by tomorrow you would be hanging from the town square."

"I could take Grisham."

The Queen laughed. "There are times that I can barely hold my own. He is bigger, stronger, a trained soldier and a man who enjoys using his own men as well as prisoners as punching bags. Don’t ever underestimate an enemy. It will be fatal."

"I, I didn’t think."

"No you didn’t. What I don’t understand is why?"

"I wanted to be like you. You fight for the people against a tyrannical government. Not like that spoiled rich Senorita Alvarado. Why she took a nap when she heard that a peon was arrested. She doesn’t have a clue about what real life is about."

"I said don’t underestimate your enemies, don’t underestimate your friends either. You do not know anything about the Senorita. She took you, a complete stranger in and gave you a place to live. What would you have done if Don Dominquez had caught you instead of her."

"But you do fight against the government."

"No, I fight against injustice."

"Why don’t you just kill Montoya and Grisham?"

"Then what? Who would replace them? Someone worse perhaps? Montoya may be a greedy and treacherous rat, but he is our greedy treacherous rat. He is a known commodity. A replacement would be an unknown adversary."

"Well I hate them both."

"Hate is an emotion that can ruin you, make you forget caution and get you killed. Look what hate did to Don Dominquez. He was so full of hate that he attacked an innocent woman. He was so blinded by hate that he would not listen to reason."

Elena thought about this and started to speak. The Queen held up her hand.

"Take off that mask. There is only one Queen of Swords. You don’t even have a sword and you probably couldn’t use one if you had one."

"You could teach me?"

"Elena, you are too young to fight. I just didn’t pick up a sword one day and start fighting trained soldiers. It took years of training. I would rather you learn to be a lady like Senorita Alvarado instead trying to be the Queen of Swords. You will live longer."

"I have no where to go. My mother always told me that I was too much of a rebel. When I was little, I would wrestle with the boys my age and beat them. I too can use a whip and a knife. I just haven’t learned to use a sword yet. I don’t want to become a woman whose only life is to service a man at his pleasure and raise babies."

"Maybe things will change sometime in the future, but you live here and now."

"Alright, I will learn how to be a lady from Senorita Alvarado, but I will not faint at the drop of a hat. I will be strong like you."

"You can be a lady and be strong like me, but sometimes strength comes from making others think you are weak."

A month later Tessa and Marta were in the kitchen.

"Marta, I think Elena has been doing very well. She no longer talks about how fantastic the Queen is and has been learning how to be a lady."

"Si, Tessita, she has also learned to read and write. She has been less trouble than you were at that age."

"Me? I was a perfect angel."

"An angel from hell." Snickered Marta.

"Why Marta, whatever did I do?"

"Let’s see. Dressed like a boy and learned to sword fight. Dressed like a boy and pretended to be a boy when our home quartered British soldiers. Ran away from home to live with my family. Not once but twice. And those are just some of the things that I know about."

"Marta, I never could hide anything from you. You found it all out."

"I wouldn’t put it past you to have smuggled military secrets to the British."

"Now that would have been something to tell my father, wouldn’t it? We were talking about Elena. Where is she?"

"I sent her to get a bottle of wine in the cellar. Uh Oh."

Tessa beat Marta to the cellar. They could see a light coming from the secret room. They found Elena holding a lace mask and The Queen’s sword. Elena turned to face them.

"So, Elena, now you know our secret."

"Yes, but don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Now I know why The Queen persuaded me to stay with you." Elena smiled. "You and the Queen of Swords are friends. Why else would she leave her things her with you. She must really trust you with her life? Well, she can trust me also. I just wish she would trust me enough to tell me who she is. Has she told you who she is?"

"There are some secrets that are best left secrets, Elena."

"Perhaps you are right Tessa."

Marta and Tessa looked at each other, a look that spoke volumes. They each took an arm and led Elena from the room. Tessa blew out the light.