Æthelflæd is a well-respected lady and gifted peaceweaver. She was married to Seaxwulf in 535 just prior to the establishment of their northerner settlement on the edge of the Andredes Weald. Her skills and beauty are held in high regard by her community. Many remark on how she was wisely named (Æthelflæd means “elf-beauty”) because of her waist-long, plaited, blond hair, ice-blue eyes, and snow-white skin. As a gifted administrator, she is often found supervising families working on the new steading, and many of the ceorls seek her counsel instead of her husband’s when it comes to the day-to-day needs of the steading.

See also: Seaxwulf