A/N 4-7-21 - Hello all! So here's another chapter within less than 2 weeks! YAY! I wanted to throw in a real Author's Note to mention that a lot of what's said in this chapter is very heavily based on headcanon. While a lot of the names are actually Canon to the lore, there's still speculation within said lore as to whether or not certain information from certain in-game books are fact or fiction. Hence where fanfiction comes in to have fun with it and make it sound as if certain stories were indeed true! And, once again, we're bringing up some old names from an early chapter to bring something full circle.

Thank you again to everyone still reading and enjoying the story! We're almost to the end! And to answer DrWandel - indeed we will wonder! He does have the potential to accomplish a lot, but he did also say the Gods granted him permission to be Tala's guardian spirit. So for now, he's merely moral support... but who's to say how he can be of use for Tala in her future! ;)

...

After Tala put the baby down in the crib, she heard the sound of boots walking down the hall and approaching the chambers. She looked towards the door to see who it was, but no one appeared into her view, so it wasn't Guilbert bringing the food. Her eyes then focused on the fireplace- or more specifically through it- knowing that adjacent to this room was Jauffre's quarters, and realized he must have been the one who came down the hall. She then made her way to her bed and pulled the little coinpurse from under her pillowcase before she made her way the Grandmaster's chambers. When she approached the doorway, she saw Jauffre sitting at his desk with his back turned and his focus on a book resting on his desk, so she gently knocked on the wall to alert her presence. He turned to look over his shoulder to see who it was; upon seeing Tala, he stood from his chair to address her.

"Tala? Why are you out of bed? If you needed to speak with me, I could have come to you." He said.

"I felt it appropriate to come to you." She replied as she slowly came into the room. "I have a couple of things... the first one you're not going to like. I... I decided on a name for the baby."

His shoulders dropped a bit and he let out a short sigh through his nose. "You went with Martin, didn't you?" When she nodded, he shut his eyes and shook his head. "I should've seen it coming when you stopped to contemplate Guilbert's reasoning. I still think you're playing a dangerous game."

"I know. Believe me, I tried to come up with a better name, but we both kept going back to Martin. But we could still make this work. Everyone knows I'm the Champion of Cyrodiil. They knew I was Martin's champion during the Oblivion Crisis. As if anyone will be surprised when they hear I named my son after my friend and our 'brave and noble Emperor'." She replied, putting an over exaggerated tone in her last four words. "And mind you, I have planted the rumor that I was married to Guilbert during the Oblivion Crisis. My son's going to be known as Mar-ten Jemane, not Martin Septim the Second."

"Mar-ten?" Jauffre questioned with a cocked eyebrow.

Tala nodded. "A little flair on his name... so that if I were to ever talk about Martin again, I wouldn't be confusing the two."

He was quiet for a moment before he looked over his shoulder at the book on his desk and sat back down in his chair. "If you and Guilbert think you can fool the masses, then I will put some faith in it. So far, you seem to be convincing people that the two of you are married. Hopefully you can continue to have them believing that you named your child in honor of a friend, not his father."

"I do, too." She then crept a little further into the room as she held out the coinpurse. "I also wanted to give this back to you."

Jauffre looked back at her and paused for a moment before he finally took the leather pouch. "You're giving me the Amulet's Shard and your wedding ring?"

A sadness crept into her eyes. As much as she wanted to keep them, she felt it was the best choice. "The Amulet of Kings was always safely guarded by the Empire or the Blades. It should remain safe here with you." She softly replied.

When Jauffre remained pensively silent, Tala peered over his shoulder to get a better look at the book on his desk and decided to change the subject. "Is that book in front of you a good read? I'm getting kind of bored with the books in my chambers."

Rather than say anything, he remained still for another long moment before ultimately turning around to set the coinpurse on the desk. He then closed the book and turned back around to hand it to her. It was severely worn and looked to be hundreds of years old. When she looked at him curiously, he simply nodded his head as an invitation to open it. When she opened the cover ever-so-delicately, she saw how worn the parchment looked and how faded the ink was. In it's opening page, it wrote:

This reserve shall be transcribed by the Grandmasters of the Dragon Guard, to be passed down to proceeding Grandmasters, to document the lives of the Dragon Born line of Tiber Septim and his descendents.

So long as an heir remains, it shall be the duty of the Blades to serve and protect this mortal covenant between Akatosh and Tamriel.

Upon reading it, Tala let out a soft gasp and looked back at Jauffre, whom held no emotion as he watched her reaction.

"This has been passed down to me from previous Grandmasters since the reign of Tiber Septim." He explained. "It has documented every Septim- both legitimate and illegitimate- since the beginning of the Third Era. It has had many pages added, it's cover bound and rebound, for three hundred years... until the end of the Oblivion Crisis."

"I had no idea this existed." Tala softly replied. "I would have thought that the Elder Council's archives would hold this kind of information."

"They do... to an extent." Jauffre replied. "Some of the records have been modified or destroyed over the generations due to political strife. But this one has been carefully preserved to be written down without bias... as it should be."

As she turned the page to look at it's first recording, Tala saw the old and worn words:

Born to a Nede mother and Nord father.
Hjalti Early-Beard - Nede
born 2E 828 - died 3E 38 (age 106)
Changed name to Tiber Septim in 2E 854

FIRST EMPEROR

married Eumelia, a Nord noblewoman
children:
Hjalti Septim - male
Njadi Septim - female

As she read it, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait, this can't be right." Tala quickly debated. "The stories say that Tiber Septim was a Nord. And he only had one son. This says he had a son and a daughter."

"Tales can be mistold." Jauffre said. "Because Tiber Septim was born to a Nordic father, he embraced his Nordic heritage, hence where the stories of him being a natural born Nord have surfaced. But as you well know, children take the race of their mother, with the exception being interbreeding between man and mer. Therefore, he and his brother, Agnorith were technically Nedes. And according to this tome- written by our first Grandmaster- Tiber did indeed have a daughter, but she died young. Which is why there are no stories about her. Then again, there are no stories of his son either. He never made it to the throne... but his son did. And it's why everyone knows Pelagius the First as our second Emperor instead of his father."

As she flipped to page four, Tala saw the daughter's name- Njadi Septim- where it said that she was betrothed to a Nord farmer named Velkan, but "Died of complications during childbirth", something Tala shuddered at the thought of... considering that she came very close to complications during her own delivery.

She flipped through the pages some more and realized that each page recorded a new line in the ancestry, where their achievements, marriages to people ranging from farmers to Queens, and their children were listed underneath. On page six was where it recorded Pelagius Septim and his death, as well as noting that he never married and sired no children, and at the bottom of the page it said "THIS ENDS THE DIRECT LINE OF TIBER SEPTIM."

"So it's true then. All Septims today technically descend from Tiber's brother, not Tiber himself. I thought that was a rumor." Tala commented.

"It is not. Which is why we speculate that somehow Tiber and Agnorith Septim were descended from Reman Cyrodiil, last known descendant of Saint Alessia herself. Or so the 'rumors' are told. Otherwise, there is no known information that clearly states that, or that Tiber Septim made a covenant with Akatosh like Alessia had. He naturally had the abilities of a Dragonborn... and it's why the Dragon Guard swore to be his Blades."

Tala continued to flip through the pages, recognizing names from history books, as well as from what she assumed were fiction books- which shocked her, considering that she thought names like "Galana Septim" and "Amiel Septim" were just made up for the Wolf Queen series. But they weren't. Not even the rumors that Emperor Cephorus died unmarried and childless were true. There it was in this book, all listed on one page: "married Queen Bianki, Redguard Queen of Gilane / children: Percival - male, Myron - male / Abigayle - female / (All of Cephorus's progeny perished in the War of the Red Diamond.)". She saw the pages of all three children- ranging from ages twelve, ten, and eight- with very blank pages and only a note stating "(Assassinated by poison.)".

She flipped some more and saw on page fifteen that Pelagius the Third- or the Mad, as he was nicknamed- did indeed have a sister named Jolethe, and that she married a Nord Jarl and bore a son- Aleksi Winter-Fist... father of Cephorus Winter-Fist, whom changed his name to Cephorus Septim the Second upon becoming the Sixteenth Emperor. She saw that they included Empress Katariah's marriage to Gallivere Lariat and her second born child, Uriel Lariat, along with his son Adnorak, but eventually noting in his page that he was "DISINHERITED FROM THE SEPTIM DYNASTY" and "(Changed name to Adnorak Lariat soon after taking the throne in Shornhelm.)".

She kept flipping through until she reached page 34 and stopped to read its contents:

Born to Pelagius IV and Lucille Septim
Uriel Septim VII - Imperial
born 3E 346 - died 3E 433 (age 87)

TWENTY-FIRST EMPEROR
(Assassinated by Members of the Mythic Dawn)

copulated with Anise Marinos, an Imperial noblewoman
children: Calaxas Septim - male

married Princess Caula Voria, eldest Breton daughter of King Simone Voria of Northport
children:
Geldell - male
Enman - male
Ebel - male

copulated with Gemile, an Imperial scullery maid
children:
Martin Septim - male

There he was, right there at the bottom of the page... along with the ancestry he never really knew. "Gemile... that was his mother's name?" Tala asked. Jauffre simply nodded. "What happened to her?"

"Died in childbirth." Jauffre replied. "It was one of a few reasons why Uriel asked me to take Martin and hide him. The Emperor could not raise his bastard alongside his legitimate children. He couldn't have Empress Caula finding out that he had an affair with another woman, this time after their marriage. So he had me take Martin away from the palace. One, for his protection; and second, for a failsafe."

"A failsafe?"

"After Uriel's imprisonment in Oblivion, he wanted to make sure an heir was hidden away safe... just incase the Empire looses its power again."

That's when Tala's dumbfounded stare quickly turned to an annoyed glare. "So the idea of hiding an heir over the fear of political power games is really not a new concept to you, is it?" She curtly asked him.

Jauffre closed his eyes and sighed. "No. Its not." He simply responded.

When Tala flipped to the next pages, she saw on page thirty-five that Uriel's first born and bastard, Calaxes, had died young, killed by unknown assassins. On page thirty-six was his first legitimate son, Geldell. He was fifty-six years old when he was assassinated, and he was married to a princess Zinovja, "eldest Nord daughter of King Liev the Unbent of Solitude". Upon recognizing that name, Tala's eyes widened.

"Crown Prince Geldell was married to Liev's daughter?" She surprisingly asked.

Jauffre nodded. "For less than a year. It was an arraigned marriage to strengthen the alliance between Cyrodiil and Skyrim. Lady Zinovja was actually three months along with their first child when the Mythic Dawn assassinated them both in their chambers."

Her eyes saddened at the thought as she absentmindedly flipped to the next page. King Liev was so kind to her at the Elder Council meeting, and her grief was aimed more for him and his wife at the thought of loosing their daughter. "So is that why Ocato asked Liev and his Jarls to the meeting? In an effort to make peace with Skyrim now that their alliance is broken?"

"I assume so. Ocato didn't need to ask the Jarls to join them. He could have asked High King Liev to come on his own. I have no doubt he needed to think of something, and including all of Skyrim's leaders was a good start."

"I wonder why Liev didn't bring up his daughter at the meeting..."

"He did." Jauffre replied, causing Tala to stare perplexingly at him. "After the Houses of Morrowind expressed their concerns, Liev expressed his displeasure at the Empire's lack of defenses that ultimately got his daughter killed. You must've not been paying attention in the midst of our little private argument."

Tala drew a heavy sigh and blew it out hard. "To be honest, I didn't pay all that much attention to a lot of what was covered at that meeting." She mumbled. She then added in a clearer register, "I only caught bits and pieces of the conversations, and what I do remember wasn't very comforting to hear... and it's the whole reason why I don't really want to tell Ocato that there's an heir to the throne."

She then flipped to the final page and froze every muscle in her body as she read it:

Born to Uriel VII Septim and Gemile
Martin Septim - Imperial
born 3E 388 - died 3E 434 (age 46)

TWENTY-SECOND EMPEROR
(Sacrificed his life to protect Tamriel from the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon.)

married Tala, Breton Hero of Kvatch and Champion of Cyrodiil
children:

The part about children was blank. She looked up at Jauffre again and asked, "You added this in, didn't you?" When he nodded, she quietly asked, "Is this why you're showing me this book?"

"I'm showing you this book because you deserve to know." Jauffre answered as he crossed his arms across his chest. "This book has only ever seen the eyes of Grandmasters. Not even Emperors have looked at its contents. You are the first because you ensured the Septim line didn't end with Martin. I was actually writing in your marriage and preparing to note that Martin sired no children on the very day you arrived to tell me about your pregnancy. Call it a stroke of luck if you will that it took me a couple of months before I decided to update this ledger on the day you came back to Cloud Ruler Temple. Call it the fate of the Gods. But the point is... its because of you that this book can continue to add more pages. But it is up to you to decide what name I'm writing underneath as his progeny... and what I will be noting in the page beside it."

Tala gingerly placed the book back on the desk with pages thirty-nine and forty still lying open. She then held her elbows in her hands as she continued to stare at the pages as she gave it some thought.

"Under 'children'... put down Martin Septim the Second. And as for our son's page, make a note that he was given the assumed name of Martin Jemane at birth."

As Jauffre grabbed a quill and dipped the tip in ink, he looked at her one more time and asked, "You're certain this is the name you want to record?"

Tala nodded. "Yes. I'm certain. As far as the world is concerned, he's named in honor of the man who saved Tamriel... for his own protection. But as we agreed a few months ago, should we be without an Emperor when he becomes of age, I want him to see this book and know that he was named after his father, like many of his ancestors have done in the past. Should he or his children choose to reclaim the throne someday, I want them to know his name is his birthright."

As Jauffre etched the name in ink, Tala took in a sharp breath through her nose and slowly exhaled it through parted lips. There was no turning back now; the name was practically written in stone. And she honestly couldn't believe that she did it. But she felt in her heart that it was the right choice. She was just glad Jauffre didn't yell at her for it. Once the ink was dry, Jauffre closed the book and turned to face her again.

"Regardless of our disagreements on this matter, I am still glad you are well. And I'm glad your son is alive and well. I have had more time to mull this whole thing over, and I can finally see your reasoning for keeping him hidden from the world. You're right to keep your child safe from harm. I know that the Blades have not had the greatest reputation for keeping Emperors safe recently... but I swear to you that we will not fail in protecting you and your son. Our hearts, our blades, our lives... we give to you both."

Tala softly smiled. "You and the Blades have extended me every courtesy, even when there have been times where I didn't deserve it. But please don't forget, I'm just a person. I need the company of friends, like any other."

Jauffre suddenly smirked and chuckled softly. "I heard Martin say something similar to Steffan once... almost verbatim."

It was Tala's turn to softly laugh. "Well I can finally understand how he felt then. You may watch over my son and myself as every Blade has done with every Septim-born heir, but remember that I am also a Blade. My sword, my heart, and my life are also yours at a moment's notice. You all are my friends and my brethren. That's something I never had until I came to Cyrodiil and you initiated me into the Blades. I won't let this be a one-way road. We'll look out for each other, I promise."

Jauffre held his smirk as a resemblance of warmth showed in his eyes. "Thank you, Tala. Now... you need your rest. We'll speak again soon. Thank you for letting me know what name you decided upon." As Tala turned to leave the room, he quickly added, "Oh, and don't forget this."

When Tala turned around to look at him, she saw Jauffre offering her the coinpurse back. As she blinked in confusion, she asked, "Don't you want the Amulet's Shard to remain here?"

"This shard contains a part of every Dragonborn Emperor who has used the amulet to light the Dragonfires. But it also contains a piece of Martin's soul... and I guarantee that he would rather be with you than here in my chambers. After all, in giving this back to you, you were able to find a sense of peace. It would be a shame to have you return to sleepless nights when all you have to do is keep him close."

Tala silently nodded as she bit her lower lip in an attempt to suppress her emotions. She then graciously took the coinpurse and respectfully bowed to Jauffre before turning to walk back into her room.

She didn't have much time to herself in order to gather her thoughts before Guilbert finally entered the room with a tray of venison chops, some assorted vegetation, and a pot of tea with an empty cup. "Are you alright?" He asked as he set the tray down on the table. "You seem agitated."

Tala looked at him and flashed a smile. "No. Just lost in thought. Are we sharing that tray, or is it all for me?"

He took a second to reply, but he eventually smiled back and said, "It can all be for you if you'd like, but otherwise I planned on this being for both of us."

Her pleasant demeanor brightened a little more as she happily shook her head. "Nope! I'm happy to share. It's perfect timing too, because I'm starving!"