No doubt the morning after the council meeting, all of Morrowind was shocked to awake and find House Hlaalu to be Nerevarine. For now, of course, it was merely the government, for the most part, that was Nerevarine, but Nethyn hoped to change the will of the people towards Azura and the True Tribunal. His faithful court chaplain, Athyn, had begun to go out into the streets of Narsis and preach the coming of the Nerevarine and the blessings of the true Tribunal. At first, the response from the Dunmer was one of bewilderment at this, as it was perhaps the last thing most expected. Then, the bewilderment turned to rage, as some began to violently protest this. Athyn told his grandmaster that he seemed to recognize a few faces from his time studying theology with many who went on to serve in the Temple; these faces were seen stirring the crowd against him. Eager to protect his court chaplain, Nethyn assigned a personal guard to protect Athyn during his preaching.
In Frostfall of 471 2E, Morrowind declared war on the Temple. The reasons were like any before: there was territory on the mainland that the kingdom desired to take from the Temple. Many had taken to call these the “Petty Squabbles,” with the kingdom and the Temple compared to two bitter siblings. Nethyn was actually given a military command, as word of his skill in the face of Eldrar’s rebellion had made its way to the royal court, and he served as an officer until Morning Star of 472, when he was dismissed for other court duties.
Nethyn returned to Narsis at Sun’s Dawn, and found, in the courtyard, apparently awaiting his arrival eagerly, his own son, Evos. The grandmaster and son were soon going off to a secluded part of the estate, where Evos explained that he had been pondering the council meeting several months ago. He realized that Athyn was right - a change had come over Nethyn, a change unlike any most had ever seen in a Mer. Certainly it was common for drunkards to drop the bottle, or the profane to learn to guard their tongue, but Nethyn’s change appeared to have happened completely. From this, Evos decided that it would be best to heed his father’s request that he convert to the Nerevarine faith. So it was that on that day, Evos knelt before his father, begged for forgiveness of his arrogance and letting other forces lead him astray, and pledged to serve Azura and her coming champion. Nethyn said nothing - he simply took his son by the shoulders, helped him stand back up, and hugged him tight.
Not too long after, in the month of First Seed, a letter came in the mail. It was from Muthsera Trivon of Andrethis, one of those who had rejected the call for conversion at the council. As Nethyn sat down in his study to read, he could only gather from it that Trivon had come across some supposedly grand arguments that would forever seal Nerevarine beliefs in the ground. Many of them were beliefs Nethyn had heard on Vvardenfell, from Archcanon Farwil and others, and much of it no doubt Trivon took from others in the court who were hostile to Nethyn’s cause. Overall, it was a weak, flimsy letter of protest, attacking the Nerevarine faith but in no way truly representing it. Nethyn felt inspiration to write a response back, and dedicated the rest of the night to this endeavor. He chose his words carefully, and oftentimes censored himself when it seemed to him that he was not being gracious enough. As he sealed up the letter, he quietly prayed, “Let this be your message, O Azura, and not mine.”
Some days later, Nethyn received a response back. In it, Trivon wrote that he had seriously pondered what Nethyn had said, and meditated upon the great decision that lay before him. In the end, Trivon realized that the False Tribunal was blasphemy, and the True Tribunal served as the true deities of the Dunmeri people. In other words, Trivon had finally relented and converted to the Nerevarine faith. The letter brought a smile to Nethyn’s lips, and he clutched it to his chest.
By the year 473, things seemed to be going well for the Hlaalu grandmaster. His love for Azura began to grow, and he truly realized now that she really was caring for him, and watching over him. His passion for the True Tribunal began to grow, and he was now carrying himself with greater confidence in his faith. With each courtier who converted, he found it easier and easier to speak of his faith with boldness.
Then came one fateful night, on 30 Heartfire, 473, when the most extraordinary happened. It started, as things often did, with a dream. In the dream, Nethyn saw Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness himself, seated in a chair before a great and terrible void of blackness. He was wearing fine, purple garments with light brown pants, with one of his legs resting over the right armrest while he leaned his elbow against the left armrest. His head leaned against his fist, staring nonchalantly at some objects which were before him. They were two strange, spherical shapes with rough texture, and they seemed to be orbiting around one another while keeping a great distance.
As Nethyn gazed on this strange sight, someone else entered into the picture, not too far from where Sheogorath sat. It was a tall, Dunmeri women wearing loose garments, and bearing sun and moon in either hand. Nethyn quickly recognized it as Azura herself.
“Oh, hello there,” Sheogorath said casually, shifting his pale, lifeless eyes to Azura and grinning, “long time no chat. You know, you never write me any more. I was beginning to think you didn’t care.”
“You must let these two go,” Azura said matter-of-factly.
“You mean these?” Sheogorath asked, motioning towards the two spherical objects with his free hand. “But they are so much fun. Did you know that they haven’t shared a bed since his little council? It’s been a long time since then...that’s the easiest way for me to cause anyone to go mad!”
“I have made a promise to protect him and his house,” Azura said, “this will include his own household. I will not watch as his marriage dissipates. Let them both go.”
Sheogorath cackled and waved both his hands into the air, “Tit-for-tat! You can’t expect me to relinquish my fun and get bored again! I can only have so much fun in Mania for so long. It drives me insane.”
“If you desire something from these people,” Azura said, “then you may have the royal family in Mournhold.”
“They shall be my crowning achievement.” Sheogorath said. “But if you wish…”
He waved his hand, and the two spheres shifted, drawing closer and closer in their orbit. Soon, they collided, but instead of bouncing off one another or breaking apart, they began to slowly morph and change until they were united together. Then, in a matter of seconds, they were one again.
It was then that Nethyn woke up. He woke to the sound of knocking on his bedchamber door.
“Who is it?” he called out.
It was a servant, stating that his wife desired to see him in the library. Nethyn quickly put on his robe and went to the door, following the servant down the hall towards the library, where he left him. The grandmaster entered, and sure enough found his wife waiting for her. She was wearing one of her simple beige dresses, and her hair was let down in a plain manner. In her eyes were a look of exhaustion, as if she had just finished a tiring bit of work - gone was the anger and hate she had shown him in the previous months.
“Llavesa,” Nethyn said, blinking his red eyes, “what is wrong?”
“I wanted to apologize,” Llavesa said, her voice weak and breaking, “for how I have been acting.” She let out a sigh, then continued, “I do not know what came over my at that council meeting, but it was improper for a wife to behave, especially the wife of a grandmaster. I suppose it was just a strange thing to me, since I had never been trained for it growing up in Narthan. However, I have recently realized that...that…” Tears welled up in her dark red eyes, and trying to muster all her strength to speak what remained in her, she said, “I see in you peace, happiness, and contentment which I have never seen before, nor I think will ever see in any man. All my life I have tried to find it in my pride, or in what my family possessed in their dignity and possessions, and they have all come out wanting. I have decided that...that...whatever you have, I want…”
She couldn’t finished. She broke down crying. Immediately, the grandmaster surged forward, grabbing his wife. Nethyn and his wife hugged one another as tightly as they had held one another during their entire marriage. Llavesa did not say anything else, but she didn’t have to. Nethyn kissed her on the forehead and gently whispered, “It is alright, my wife. I love you, because I know for certain that Azura loves you as well…”
So it was that Nethyn’s family was once again united, under the headship of Azura.