- Aethelwulf: Queen Kwenthrith, you would be unwise to kill us. It would give my father the very pretext he needs. A pretext to invade Mercia and become its king. He may even have been prepared to sacrifice me to attain his ends. So, if you value your life, and that of your son, then I suggest you sign the documents we have brought with us, reaffirming the fact that Mercia is a vassal state of Wessex, and must, in future, pay not only homage, but also taxes to Wessex for the privilege!