"The ducal line of Alysaen yes. Members of your prestigious bloodline have woven into and out of the throne of the Aldmeri dominion across several occasions. Your great great grandfather was the third child of Queen Ayrenn in fact." he said clearly amused at my reaction.
"The third child? Most elven couples only produce two at most over decades." I said surprised.
"Queen Ayrenn was a special woman even across the vast history of Altmer. Not only a powerful warrior in her own right but far more openly accepting of the other races than most were comfortable with. It is said that her "eyes of the Queen" organization was mostly comprised of individuals from other races in fact. The leader of which being a Khajiit of legendary skill and cunning if a rather playful personality. The age she was in power was an unstable one so to ensure her throne was fully stable she insisted on bearing no less than four children." he said sipping his tea.
"Records from the second era are scarce in this era so most of what I know of her is hear say or myth at best." I admit honestly.
"Most of the records from that time in each province are only on the figures of that exact province. The others tend to get discarded as irrelevant until the future generations look back curiously but can find no answers. Only a few exceptions to this exist and each are pivotal to history. Figures such as Shalidor, Vanus Galerion or the Tribunal. Figures that affected not just one region but many." he said with an accepting but helpless look.
"People can be spiteful creatures when it comes to their enemies." I said with a shrug as I sipped my own cup of tea.
"Quite so. But now you know your origin, every part worth knowing at least. I believe your mother will take comfort in that fact when she learns it." he said gently.
"You keep contact with her? Even after all but being banished here?" I asked surprised.
"While I may not be able to return to direct service I am always loyal to the line of Alysaen. In truth that is part of my work with the resistance here in Hammerfell. After what the Thalmor did and continue doing many within the dominion are fed up with them. Your mother has worked tirelessly since the war to supplant them as the ruling faction." he said gravely.
"She's using the resistance to keep the Thalmor busy and not fully focused on recovering from the war." I whispered as I mentally mapped out cause and effect.
At first glance of just the information you get from the game it looks like both the empire and Thalmor were trying to recover at roughly equal pace from the war so the one that managed it first got the advantage. To this end they were constantly running undermining operations against the other. The empire was still recoiling from the concordat and devastation of the war while the Thalmor were forced to continue their pressure on Hammerfell.-
If they let up the resistance would boot them out and start shoring up the "walls" making their next attempt at taking the province so much harder. All armies require supplies though and the Thalmor have far better access to them than the resistance. In theory the resistance shouldn't have been able to mount such a fierce amount of pressure for so long but now I understood the deeper layers. There were parties supplying the resistance with resources to keep it afloat because the Thalmor being distracted by this back and forth tug a war served their interests.-
"Then it seems you will have more good news to share with her. I have long since began to position Skyrim and Morrowwind as a new covenant alliance like back during the war of three. A single solid block of cooperation between the northernmost provinces with Hammerfell being the last to officially agree. No one cares about the fence sitters in High rock." I revealed honestly.
He blinked rapidly in surprise before laughing in that ragged sound of his.
"Like mother like son it seems. She'll be filled with pride to know you command such authority in Skyrim." he said with a smile.
"I don't actually. I hold no titles, no office and most Jarls know me by reputation worth little more than sand. It's Ulfric Stormcloak being the chief force behind this matter. I gave him a rough plan to free Skyrim from the empire without weakening Skyrim too much. He liked the plan and has been working to bring it about. At best I can be considered an advisor that created the basic architecture of the plan." I clarified.
"Less impressive to be sure but no small point of pride either. I haven't kept up with the news of Skyrim over the years so you'll forgive me if this sounds ignorant. But how did you come by such an opportunity in the first place?" He asked curiously.
"It's no grand secret, quite the opposite in fact. I am a somewhat famous prodigy back home. Was always smarter, stronger and more skilled than any child my age by a large measure. I am a master swordsman, a polymath mage of at least adept level in each school with three being at the expert level. I mastered the culinary arts and innovated them with no less than two cookbooks being published and circulated across the planet. I hold few deeds to my name but in terms of skill I dare say none my age can rival me. Even at the college I have been likened to the next Galerion or Shalidor, if not yet fully matured." I said proudly.
"That is a hefty boast. Can you prove any of it?" he asked sternly.
I cycled through various spells to show my mastery of them, nonviolent ones of course.
"I'm not terribly skilled in mage craft personally but I know enough to understand the truth when it's put in front of me. Your mother may faint when she gets the news. I genuinely regret that I won't be there to see it in person." he said with a clear mix of joy and regret.
"I understand how ridiculous my progress is more than anyone. But I genuinely paid for every single bit of it with long hours of study and training. It just took me less than most would need." I said sincerely.