At their mat*]+e-sele@;ction ceremony, ;G^#.rant) rejec#:ts Mara in front of b+oth tr?$ibe-^)s and gi:+^ves her p -lac?@-\e to her cry=:ing young_$[er  sist^
er. He s:wears it ?^is  only tempora=ry.,=% He has forgotten [ on[ )e\ thi(%ng: Mara tu,`
-rn:#\s twenty-two in three da:ys. Unde.%;r \/ t : riba;l law, an
 un
mated woman loses her `)
righ\.t to choose, an[[[\d Mar/-a has already been` assigned to the dying -Drag%on King. G_%rant expe([=cts(* h/^ er f!)ather[ to sto]\p_ +^[/:it.# Mara accepts the decree. Three days l;/a( ter,$.% as Grant c* om es t o bond with /#Br,\en#na, one hundred d ^r$agon );guard?[s arrive at,:- th;e[:` Hale gat e;
%s ??to escort Mara away as their fut ur
e queen.