Tame Weorth and Northanhymbre, 729-731 AD
At the beginning of May 729, King Osric died. The opportunity brought about by the circumstances of the treacherously and chaotically contested kingship in Northanhymbre proved too tempting for Æthelbald to resist. To exploit the situation to the full, however, he had to solve the question of who to employ. Since acceding to the throne, his policy of installing trustees in delicate areas disputed between Mierce and its neighbouring kingdoms had paid off.
The impediment was that there was not the infinite supply of men who combined trustworthiness with the clever cunning he needed to further his ambitions. This accounted for Æthelbald"s restless pacing within the confines of the palace in Tame Weorth.
“You will go to Loidis with all haste,” Æthel
