Accordingly Hartmut chose sixty knights from the noblest houses in the land, to lay his suit before King Hetel; they set out forthwith, attired in rich garments, their spotless armor shining in the sun, while twelve superb sumpter horses followed, led by retainers and laden with gold and silver. Full a hundred days passed before they reached the borders of Hetel’s kingdom, where they found a warlike people, most of them going about in helm and mail. They asked where the King was to be found and were shown the way to the royal castle, Hegelingen. As they rode up to it the people came flocking about them full of eager curiosity to gaze at the splendid strangers, while the King ordered sumptuous lodgings to be prepared for them.
On the twelfth day they were summoned before Hetel who, seated on a shining throne and surrounded by his vassals, received them graciously and asked their errand. One of the knights stepped forward and delivered to him the letter containing King Ludwig’s suit for his son Hartmut; but scarcely had he learned its contents when his brow darkened and he cried angrily:
“Now, by my faith! doth Ludwig dare to dishonor my crown with such proposals? Let him seek a Queen for his son where’er it pleaseth him, but approach not my throne with his presumptuous desires!”
At these words there was a stir among the Norman knights, and their swords seemed to rattle in their sheaths; but they restrained themselves, and one ventured to reply: “Hartmut is well worthy to be thy son-in-law, O King! for truly there is no braver knight alive!”
Thereupon Queen Hilda, who sat beside the King, lifted her head haughtily and said: “Knowst thou not that thy prince was liegeman to my father, King Hagen, whose fame hath surely reached thine ears? And shall the son of my father’s vassal lead our child homeward as his bride?”
Therewith the knights were dismissed, and the next morning they left the court. Full of hope and impatience Hartmut looked forward to their return, but their appearance, when at last they rode into the courtyard, boded him little good. Reluctantly they made known the answer of Hetel and Hilda to his suit; whereat Ludwig foamed with rage, and Gerlinda burst into a storm of angry tears, but Hartmut asked one of the knights whether the maiden was really so beautiful as it was said.
“In truth, my lord,” he replied, “so fair is she that he who once beholds her must ever bear her image in his heart.”
“Now may God chastise King Hetel for the affront he hath dealt to me and to my house! But for the maiden, she shall yet be mine, I swear!”
These words gladdened Gerlinda’s heart. “Ha!” she cried, trembling with passion, “may I but live to behold her here!”