User blog comment:Jimeee/Elder Scrolls Online: Introduction to the Lore/@comment-4976111-20120825154901/@comment-4553238-20120825160137

they don't become offical emperors they will eventully get it taken from them as they cannot light the dragon fires and it isn't based on how high up they are it is how much they contributed. So after the events or during the events of the game tiber septim will claim the empire for himself