**English version of the WATTYS 2019 WINNER story**
1672, Caribbean Sea.
He lost everything for her. She risked everything for him.
But maybe love is not enough to bridge over so many deep differences between them, and the only way for them is goodb...
Castillano smiled to the owner of the lodging where he used to stay in Trujillo. Unloading Don Carlos' ships took two to three days, and he didn't like to sleep on board when they were at a port.
"It was good, Don Genaro, thank you. Everything fine here?"
"A little rattled with that pirate frigate lurking around the Bay Islands." The man noticed Castillano's surprise. "Didn't you hear about it at the harbor? A French frigate was sighted near Boccana a couple of days ago, lurking around the keys. Rumor has it she's the scout of a fleet coming to attack us. Just like Lorenzillo in Campeche six months ago, and Laventry in Gibraltar."
Castillano wore his most-convincing concerned face to nod. Had there be any certain threat, Santa Barbara's commander had already seized his guns, since the New Lion carried twice the cannons the castle had.
"Oh, I almost forgot," said the man when he headed to the stairs. "There's a message for you."
The man gave him a single page, folded and sealed. Castillano frowned. If Don Carlos needed to let him know anything, he left his messages in his port office.
Already in his room, Castillano stood by the window to inspect the message. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the seal was an open shell with a pearl. He hurried to break it and his eyes stayed locked on the three words written on the page: "Helena Point, Roatan."
Still staring down at them, like expecting them to give him any kind of clarifying answer to the many questions filling his head, he remembered a dinner back home, in Santiago, two weeks earlier, while Alonso and him talked about work.
"You're still staying at Don Genaro's in Trujillo?" his friend had asked casually.
Was Alonso worming him? Was it possible that his friend had left his answer in a note in Port-de-Paix, to be taken to Tortuga? A pirate frigate! He looked up at the harbor outside his window. And at the sea, and behind the horizon, Roatan Island and the headland the English had called Helena Point. The Phantom? Big, tall, three masts, ten guns a side. Land people could easily take her for a frigate.
He startled Don Genaro when he ran down the stairs, the message still in his hand. "Who brought it? When?"
"Two days ago, a brunette boy."
Castillano's eyes widened like grapefruits and he stormed out to the street.
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"I think I need to confess."
Marina saw Morris' face and laughed so hard, she almost dropped her side of the table they were carrying.
Morris frowned, taking offense. "Look at her! Happy like bell! While she makes me ready her sinner hideaway!"
The girl had to stop to press her belly and brush her tears away, still laughing too hard to speak.
