Then the wife of the royal host went forth with her attendants. Fair to heart’s desire were clad Kriemhild and the forty and three maidens that she had brought with her to the Rhine. Bright shone the stuffs, woven in Araby, whereof their robes were fashioned. And they came to the minster, where Siegfried’s knights waited for them.
The folk marvelled much to see the queens apart, and going not together as afore. Many a warrior was to rue it.
Gunther’s wife stood before the minster, and the knights dallied in converse with the women, till that Kriemhild came up with her meiny. All that noble maidens had ever worn was but as a wind to what these had on. So rich was Kriemhild that thirty king’s wives together had not been as gorgeous as she was. None could deny, though they had wished it, that the apparel Kriemhild’s maidens wore that day was the richest they had ever seen. Kriemhild did this on purpose to anger Brunhild.
So they met before the minster. And Brunhild, with deadly spite, cried out to Kriemhild to stand still. “Before the queen shall no vassal go.”
Out then spake Kriemhild, for she was wroth. “Better hadst thou held thy peace. Thou hast shamed thine own body. How should the leman of a vassal become a king’s wife?”
“Whom namest thou leman?” cried the queen.
“Even thee,” answered Kriemhild. “For it was Siegfried my husband, and not my brother, that won thee first. Where were thy senses? It was surely ill done to favor a vassal so. Reproaches from thee are much amiss.”
“Verily,” cried Brunhild, “Gunther shall hear of it.”
“What is that to me? Thine arrogancy hath deceived thee. Thou hast called me thy vassal. Know now of a truth it hath irked me, and I am thine enemy evermore.”
Then Brunhild began to weep, and Kriemhild tarried not longer, but went with her attendants into the minster before the king’s wife. There was deadly hate, and bright eyes grew wet and dim.