() “As you know, I have fought side by side with the men of Mercia. That you accept me as your Lord, it is an honor I will never forget. And that’s what makes what I have to say even more difficult. However, there is someone better suited to rule Mercia than I. Someone who cares for Mercia more than themselves, someone who can be an equal ruler alongside our Lord King Edward. And so, as my first act as Lord of Mercia, I feel I have no choice but to relinquish the throne… in favor of lady Æthelflæd.” Meno