"Now array you, my maids," spake Siegfried's wife. "I must be here
without reproach. Let this be seen to-day, and ye do have rich weeds.
Brunhild shall fain deny what she hath here averted."
They needed not much bidding, but sought rich robes and many a dame and
maid attired her well. Then the wife of the noble king went forth with
her train. Fair Kriemhild, too, was well arrayed and three and forty
maidens with her, whom she had brought hither to the Rhine. They wore
bright vesture wrought in Araby, and thus the fair-fashioned maids
betook them to the minster. All Siegfried's men awaited them before the
house. The folk had marvel whence it chanced that the queens were seen
thus sundered, so that they did not walk together as afore. From this
did many a warrior later suffer dire distress. Here before the minster
stood Gunther's wife, while many a good knight had pastime with the
comely dames whom they there espied.
Then came the Lady Kriemhild with a large and noble train. Whatever kind
of clothes the daughters of noble knights have ever worn, these were but
the wind against her retinue. She was so rich in goods, that what the
wives of thirty kings could not purvey, that Kriemhild did. An' one
would wish to, yet he could not aver that men had ever seen such costly
dresses as at this time her fair-fashioned maidens wore. Kriemhild
had not done it, save to anger Brunhild. They met before the spacious
minster. Through her great hate the mistress of the house in evil wise
bade Kriemhild stand: "Forsooth no vassaless should ever walk before the
queen."
Then spake fair Kriemhild (angry was her mood): "Couldst thou have held
thy peace, 'twere well for thee. Thou hast disgraced thee and the fair
body of thine. How might a vassal's leman (1) ever be the wife of any
king?"
"Whom callest thou here leman?" spake the queen.
"That call I thee," quoth Kriemhild. "Thy fair person was first caressed
by Siegfried, my dear husband. Certes, it was not my brother who won thy
maidhood. Whither could thy wits have wandered? It was an evil trick.
Wherefore didst thou let him love thee, sith he be thy vassal? I hear
thee make plaint without good cause," quoth Kriemhild.
"I' faith," spake then Brunhild, "Gunther shall hear of this."
"What is that to me?" said Kriemhild. "Thy pride hath bewrayed thee.
With words thou hast claimed me for thy service. Know, by my troth, it
will ever grieve me, for I shall be no more thy faithful friend."
Then Brunhild wept. Kriemhild delayed no longer, but entered the minster
with her train before the queen. Thus there rose great hatred, from
which bright eyes grew dim and moist.
Whatso men did or sang to God's service there, the time seemed far
too long for Brunhild, for she was sad of heart and mood. Many a brave
knight and a good must later rue this day. Brunhild with her ladies now
went forth and stopped before the minster. Her-thought: "Kriemhild must
tell me more of what this word-shrewd woman hath so loudly charged me.
Hath Siegfried made boast of this, 'twill cost his life."
Now the noble Kriemhild came with many a valiant liegeman. Lady Brunhild
spake: "Stand still a while. Ye have declared me for a leman, that must
ye let be seen. Know, that through thy speech, I have fared full ill."
Then spake the Lady Kriemhild: "Ye should have let me pass. I'll prove
it by the ring of gold I have upon my hand, and which my lover brought
me when he first lay at your side."
Brunhild had never seen so ill a day. She spake: "This costly hoop of
gold was stolen from me, and hath been hid full long a time from me in
evil wise. I'll find out yet who hath ta'en it from me."
Both ladies now had fallen into grievous wrath.
Kriemhild replied: "I'll not be called a thief. Thou hadst done better
to have held thy peace, an' thou hold thine honor dear. I'll prove it
by the girdle which I wear about my waist, that I lie not. Certes, my
Siegfried became thy lord."
She wore the cord of silk of Nineveh, set with precious stones; in sooth
'twas fair enow. When Brunhild spied it, she began to weep. Gunther and
all the Burgundian men must needs now learn of this.
Then spake the queen: "Bid the prince of the Rhineland come hither. I
will let him hear how his sister hath mocked me. She saith here openly
that I be Siegfried's wife."
The king came with knights, and when he saw his love a-weeping, how
gently he spake: "Pray tell me, dear lady, who hath done you aught?"
She answered to the king: "I must stand unhappy; thy sister would fain
part me from all mine honors. I make here plaint to thee she doth aver
that Siegfried, her husband hath had me as his leman."