expand_less The curtain is moved and the silver plate is now clean. The priests give a nod. The boy places his hand on my chest, and I place my hand on his.The preist marries the gods, and so blesses the king, the oncoming seasons, and the agreemant betweenmen and the gods.The boy looks at me, and weaves a finger through the reeds of my dress, his pinky touching my stomach. I am not supposed to move, but I do, taking a quick step back. ****Three nights have passed and the king has kept the boy separated from me. I tent with two of the king's servants.There is a girl here around my age who is in love with everything. She loves the gods. And the king. And food. And drink.She drinks more wine than anyone I've ever seen. She brought me a little crown last night, made of woven leaves and little flowers.This morning she would not stop talking about the gods and me. Things that would get her killed, if others heard.When I had to go she kissed me and held our bodies tightly against one another. She is trying to marry the gods too, I think.But I don't mind.(- then wouldbe a scene continuing the boy v girl conflict in the rituals (not sure what our nature story is yet))  - something along the lines of the boy hasn't stopped his antagonizing, the king seperates them further***This next temple is much further than the others. It has been many days. They say eleven days,but they really only count the ones in which we marry. I've not seen the loving girl anymore, sincethe king moved me to the far side of the camp. I have my own tent where I sleep and eat.At night the only sound i hear is the wind on the fabric and the fire of the shephard, who is the only further tent,keeping the cow from disturbing others.One day I woke up and the shephard had come to see me. Told me he had seen the boy last night, and that had made him leave.I thanked him. We discussed the boy, and the shephard explained to me that he would likely only ever stopif he was given a lover. ( The story continues with the main character trying to get the boy together with the lover girl?)Lake's Note: You can adapt the sequence from the Joy Luck Club, where the wife-to-be uses the candle to convince everyone that the gods want the boy to marry the servant girl.  As I recall, she blew out the two sides of marriage candle on the night of their wedding (they're supposed to melt together as a symbol of their union).  Since the boy was in love with the servant girl anyway (I think she was pregnant too), they eagerly supported this interpretation of the gods' will.