Her brothers said, "Promise it, sister, and give over grieving."

They begged it so long that at the last the sorrowful woman promised,
before the warriors, to become Etzel's wife.

She said, "Poor queen that I am, I will follow you! I will go to the
Huns, if I find friends to lead me thither." Fair Kriemhild gave her
hand on it before the knights.

Then said the Margrave, "Thou hast two knights for thy liegemen, and I
have more. Thou canst fare across the Rhine with honour. I will not
leave thee longer here among the Burgundians. I have five hundred men
and also my kinsmen. These shall serve thee here, and at home likewise,
and do thy bidding. I will do it also, and will never shame me when thou
mindest me on my word. Bid them fetch thee forth thy horse-gear, for
thou wilt never rue Rudeger's counsel, and tell it to the maidens that
thou takest with thee. Many a chosen knight will meet us on the road."

They had still the trappings that they rode with in Siegfried's time, so
that she could take many maidens with her in fitting pomp when she
departed. Ha! what goodly saddles they brought out for the fair women!
All the rich clothes they had ever worn were made ready for the journey,
for they had heard much of the king. They opened the chests that had
stood shut, and busied them for five days and a half, and took from the
presses the store of things that lay therein. Kriemhild unlocked her
chambers, that she might make Rudeger's men rich. She had still some
gold from the Nibelung hoard, that she purposed to divide with her hand
among the Huns. An hundred mules scarce carried it.

Hagen heard the news, and said, "Since Kriemhild will never forgive me,
Siegfried's gold shall stay here. Wherefore should I let my foemen get
so much wealth. Well I know what Kriemhild will do with this treasure.
If she took it hence, she would divide it, certes, to my hurt. Tell her
that Hagen will keep it."

When she heard this, her anger was grim. They told it to the three
knights, that would gladly have put it right; when they could not, noble
Rudeger said joyfully, "Great Queen, why weep for thy gold? King Etzel's
love is not small. When his eyes behold thee, he will give thee more
than thou canst ever spend. Take my word for it, lady."

But the queen said, "Most noble Rudeger, never had a king's daughter more
wealth than Hagen hath taken from me."

Then came her brother Gernot to her chamber, and, with his k