"
After some hesitation, Guenther assented, and Brunhild, supposing she was
conquered by Guenther, yielded herself willingly to her husband and lost
all her former strength. Siegfried carried away her girdle and ring and
gave them to his wife, little suspecting what harm they would do him in
the years to come.
The wedding festivities over, Siegfried took his bride home to the
Netherlands, where their arrival was celebrated with the greatest
festivities. Siegmund placed the crown on his son's head, and Siegfried
and Kriemhild ruled happily over the kingdom for ten years, during which
time a son was born to them, christened Guenther for his uncle.
During these years Brunhild had been fretting that the supposed vassal,
Siegfried, had never come to pay homage to his king. At last, affecting a
great longing to see Kriemhild once more, she induced Guenther to invite
his sister and her husband to visit them. This he did gladly, and on their
arrival many days were spent in feasting, merrymaking, and the tourney.
But one day, when the two queens were watching the tilting in the castle
court, Kriemhild, excited by the victories of her husband, declared that
Siegfried, because of his might, ought to be ruler of Burgundy. This
angered Brunhild, who reproached the wife of a vassal for such
presumption.
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