Gracie walked out into the courtyard with Arax holding his hand. Vallath and Brace were with them. It had been decided that they would be their guards for the day. The others were busy with the audits and final mixer preparations.
She had been warned in advance but she was still amazed at the crowd that had gathered for the first ceremony. The elders joined them on the makeshift stage they had built just for this purpose. There had to be almost two hundred guardians present.
"Are all of them here to find a mate?" Turning to Drakus, who was closest to her, Gracie couldn't help but ask.
He shook his head. "No, my Queen. Just over a hundred are here for that. The rest just wished to be present for the first choosing."
Nodding, she looked back over the crowd. It was just after seven in t
