The Truth Hurts

Disclaimers: The characters from the Queen of Swords are copyright to Fireworks Productions and Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended or revenue expected from their use. The story plot and other characters are copyright to the author, James Guy.

Characters: T H CM M

Synopsis: Helm learns a new perspective

Rating PG

"You look troubled Doctor," said Senorita Mara Teresa Alvarado as she approached the table in the cantina. Doctor Helm looked up. "May I sit down?"

"A man is troubled, but no one will leave him alone." He said, but he stood up and held out a chair for the young woman.

"Tell me Doctor, what troubles you? Sometimes it helps to talk things out. I know you don’t really like me, but I wish that would change. You think I am a spoiled rich brat and a woman who should be married and be raising children. Well, I don’t have a husband and there aren’t many men here would I would marry."

"You are right in many ways, Senorita. I do think you are a spoiled brat and you should be nagging your husband instead of me. What troubles me? Nothing that you would understand. Don Hidalgo and I recently had this same conversation."

"Try me Doctor, and my friends call me Tessa, not Senorita. I’ll bet you told Gaspar what you won’t tell me."

He looked at her for a moment. "Senorita, what troubles me is death. I have seen too much death in the war. What could you, a woman, possibly understand about death?"

Tessa’s eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. "Don’t understand death? Why because I am a woman? I will have you know Robert Helm that I know very well about death. I lost my mother when I was young. An unknown assailant murdered my father. Three masked robbers killed my Godfather in front of me. Grisham killed Antonio, the man I would have married in front of me. Yes I do understand death."

Swallowing hard, Helm said "Forgive me. Yes you have had to learn about death at a young age. But killing a man is different and that you would not understand."

"Oh really. Do you remember when that Indian boy came to get his father’s burial mask? They caught him when I was in the stable. I was there to get information from a soldier, a deserter who said he had that information. Later he accused me of being The Queen of Swords and actually had Grisham burst into my home. Grisham found Marta and me tied up by a woman who claimed to be the Queen of Swords. That cabron then used me as a shield to escape. He came back later and tried to rape me. I fought him off and ran for my life. I picked up a pitchfork to defend myself but he chased me. He tried to kill me with his sword. I was terrified. He taunted me by say he killed my father, He claimed that my father begged for his life, but I didn’t believe him then and I don’t believe him now. Several times he swung his sword and I deflected it with the fork. He kept mocking me. He then lunged at me and I had to ram the fork into him. Yes Robert I too have killed a man."

Helm thought /Oh, Boy what did I get myself into?/. Taking her hand in his he said "I didn’t realize that had happened. I am sorry but that still is different than a war."

Tessa pulled her hand away. "You men, you go off to war without a thought about those you leave behind. Do you know how hard it is for a woman when her man goes to war? Never knowing if he will come back maimed or come back at all. What about the woman who has children? How does she support her family while her husband is gone? And what if he doesn’t come back? How is she supposed to live? Why even here in Santa Helena, vultures circle my hacienda waiting for me to fail. Because I am a woman they expect me to fail. They are surprised when I stand up to them. I won’t fail and if some man gets in my way, I will make sure he understands what a fool he is for getting in my way."

Shock appeared on Helm’s face. "I am seeing a side of you I have never seen before. I didn’t know you felt so strongly. No one expects you, the daughter of a don to have such opinions. Women just don’t do that. You are almost like the Queen of Swords.""

"That is another thing, Robert, you are prejudiced against her. She fights for injustice and you condemn her. There isn’t a man in this pueblo who has the cajones to fight against Montoya. Would you condemn a man who would fight against injustice? I think not."

"Tessa," he said taking her hand in his again. This time she did not draw it back. "I think I need to get to know you in a different light. I had never thought about these things, only about my own problems and I am truly sorry. Maybe we can start over, but not here. There are too many ears. How about us taking your buggy for a ride?"

"Robert, that is the first time you have ever called me by my name. Maybe now, you will talk to me as an equal, an intelligent woman, not a plaything or an aristocrat. I think a ride would be appropriate. What about now Robert? You can start my telling me what troubles you and be specific. I promise I won’t faint." She stood up still holding Helm’s hand.

A pair of gypsy eyes watched from the market as the pair got into the buggy. A sinister set of eyes watched from a balcony, belonging to Colonel Montoya.

The End?