The whispers of Ahriana's resemblance in all ways to Kieven set Nira's temper to boiling, but she could not change that fact. She forced changes of dress on her daughter, or commanded her to apply makeup to her face, Ahriana refused and was supported by her father, enraging Nira further.
Rumors began that Ahriana was hoping to never take the throne at all, that was why Kieven still kept his sword at his side, having yet to pass it to his daughter. With many this would have set heavily on their hearts, but for King Kieven it was a sigh of relief. Ahriana was a source of pride for the King. She was fiercer than any son could have been, her beauty alone being a deadly weapon. He was overjoyed for the daughter the power and magic had given him and had no desire to let her go, and once she began to take more on in her training to become Queen the less of her remained his little girl. The faster she would face the tragedy the prophecy had promised for her.
Kieven was no fool though, Ahriana was unbound, and powerless, There were those who would see that as a possibility for unadvisable actions. When tales from the tavern of unbound men drunkenly declaring their intentions to claim her reached his ears he made sure she had a small knife at her hip and one tucked into a ribbon around her ankle. Fairsh had assured Kieven she more than knew how to use both. When that hadn't settled his mind, he had Fairsh had increased her training in close quarter combat.
Nira did not concern herself with such things,the one rumor that reached her and angered her into confrontation with her rebellious daughter was the rumors of an affair with Fairsh. He was beneath her station, and if no bond was in place Nira had the power, and giddy desire to end any relationship between the two.
Nira knew Fairsh was dangerous; he had the ability to put ideas into Ahriana's head, he had already turned her into a budding warrior. Even the much older Queen could see the man was beautiful, and Ahriana was swayed easily by his words; she had been chasing him around wide eyed since she was a toddler. He was the tallest man in Imerald, with silver blonde hair, steel grey eyes and more muscles rippling through his body than were natural. The lines of his face were those of the ancient gods, perfect and sharp, angling in all the right places to present strength but a gentle softness that drew a woman in. Every woman, bonded or not, giggled and whispered about his physique.
Nira could not allow Ahriana to be influenced by someone who had no loyalty to her, Ahriana had already shown she was not easily controlled, and she could not tolerate her whims on romance to disrupt her plans for Imerald's future. It would be up to her husband to aid Nira if her plans were to reach fruition.
Fairsh more than disliked the Queen; his hatred ran as deep as Nira's plans. He didn't even bother to hide his distrust of her, openly defying her when she demanded Ahriana marry a man who had lost his bonded to illness recently. His place in court was high enough that the match would have solidified Nira's hold over the mining of Imerald's precious gems. Though it was uncommon for anyone to remarry, much less an unbonded, the man had been intrigued with the Princess and so had agreed.
The problem was no sooner had this match been agreed upon, a maid whispered in her ear that Fairsh would soon declare his love to Ahriana, publicly. Nira decided it was time to stop this before it was allowed to come before Kieven and his advisors. She knew what the prophecy said, and just who he really was. And while the idea of Ahriana being broken-hearted appealed to her greatly, and the ability to control her that would come from her pain, it would also lead down a road that in the end saw the Princess becoming much more powerful. Nira simply couldn't allow this to come to pass.