And forthwith King Hartstein assembled all his courtiers, and the women of the castle, and the guests, in the hall, for the riddle solving.
And Harthild arose from the arm chair at his right hand, and her face grew crimson as she looked at Halfred, which--as they declare--had never before happened to her at the challenging of her riddle.
She paused for a space, looked downwards, then again upon Halfred, and now with searching and defiant eyes. And she began--
"What is held in Valhalla? What is hidden in Hell? What hammers in hammer? And heads the strong helm? What begins the host slaughter? What closes a sigh? And what holds in Harthild The head and the heart?"
Then she would have seated herself, as was her wont after giving out the riddle; but struck by terror she remained standing, and grasped the arm of the chair; for Halfred, without any reflecting, stretched his right hand towards her, and spoke--
"Hast thou nothing harder, Haughty one, hidden? Then wreathe thy proud head For Hymen in haste, For what's held in Valhalla, What's hidden in Hell, What hammers in hammer, And heads the strong helm, What begins the host slaughter, And closes a sigh, What Harthild the haughty The head and the heart holds, What hovers deep hidden In high thoughts of her heart, And what here has Halfred To proud Harthild holpen, 'Tis the Sacred Rune The hero's own H."
Then Harthild sank pale with rage in her chair, and covered her head with her veil.
But when Hartstein, her father, drew near amidst loud cries of astonishment from the listeners in the hall, and would have drawn the veil from her face, she sprang up vehemently, threw back the veil--and they saw that she had wept--and cried in a harsh voice--
"Well has thou solved The hidden riddle. With mighty wit Hast won a wife, Woe to thee if tenderly Thou usest her not!"
All kept silence, uneasy at these threatening unloving words. Halfred at length broke the stillness, he threw back his head, and shook his black locks, and laughed--"I will risk that! King Hartstein, this very day will I pay thee the bride's dower. When prepare we the bridal feast?"
King Hartstein, however, wished for delay, until Hartvik and Eigil should have returned from a campaign. Then their reception feast and the marriage could be celebrated together.