When daybreak came, Boyce didn't hesitate waking and getting out of his
bed. He made his painful way to the window and looked out onto the
majesty of Gothal. Below him many nuns were already awake and working
on the vegetable gardens, and fruit groves. Over to one side was the
flower and tree garden and there was a group of nuns maintaining its
beauty through their trimmings and cultivating.
Lilith walked into the room and Boyce slowly turned around to greet her.
Zoro only looked at her when she came in. He was very quiet and
squawked only once when he sensed someone at the door, but otherwise,
he didn't make a ruckus.
She wheeled a small cart into the room, laden with a variety of foods
for Boyce to dine on.
"Will you eat with me?" he invited her in.
"Yes, thank-you!"
They spent a long time eating breakfast then, when they were finished,
Lilith had Boyce get
back on the bed and she looked him over once more to make certain that
nothing was at fault with him.
"I'm just a little sore now, that's all. I can walk!" he informed her.
She helped him put some clothing on himself and she showed him around
the abbey; through the school and chapel and through the library.
There they heard Lloyd having an aggravated discussion with a nun,
about the poet, Djenaud Smarte. This made Boyce laugh because he knew
that Lloyd didn't think very highly of that particular poet.
Lilith knew that the opposite was true of Sister Rhonta and she could
hardly keep from laughing, herself.
"Listen to them!" exclaimed Boyce.
"Does Lloyd dislike Smarte as much as Sister Rhonta admires him?"
Lilith asked him.
"It certainly sounds like it!" he said then listened some more to the
highly vocal discussion between his friend and the sister.
Soon, however, Lilith lead by the hand, to the garden and there they
walked about for several hours and told one another some other about
themselves then they sat on a marble bench in a cosy gazebo.
Boyce had fallen into a mutual love with Lilith and each of them were
aware of it. Now, however, was the first time that they had voiced
their feelings and no one else was anywhere in the garden to disturb
them, accept for Zoro, quietly watching them from a tree top.
"I love you, Boyce!" Lilith revealed to him and he gently embraced her.
"I love you!" he also admitted, and they embraced each other's wanton
bodies and kissed each other's lonely lips for the first time.
Their time together was brief and yet their love for one another bonded
them together so strongly that their spirits became fused as one.
Boyce felt dishonest in keeping most of the truths about himself, from
her, and he now decided to tell her every detail and account of his
life, and why he came to Phoride.
Lilith also told Boyce more about herself revealing to her love that
she was the daughter of the Laurentine Consul, Debran. To keep her
innocent and safe of monastic validations, he left her at the abbey
before going on to Pomperaque.
Boyce learned that this young man was more than just a beautiful, dark
hair and dark-eyed novice, waiting to turn seventeen so that she may
take her vows and become a full fledged nun of the abbey.
That was a wish of her father, Debran. The only way to save her from
the lustful designs of some carnal coenobite at Halls, was to have her
become a simple and uninteresting sister.