They visit his horse, Sieger, which unknown to Valten belonged to Gisela's father when she was a child. Worried that Ruexner might continue to harass Gisela, Valten decides he will escort her until her horse is ready at the blacksmith. When she is confronted by Ruexner, Valten comes to her rescue warning him to leave her alone. As he wanders the Marketplaz dressed as a peasant, he encounters the young woman he saw only few days ago racing across the meadow. In his last tournament he had defeated Friedric Ruexner, a man who hated Valten and was determined to defeat him. He is restless despite having been all over the Continent entering numerous tournaments. Nine years later, in 1412, Valten has just returned to Hagenheim after a two year absence. However, despite her attempts to dislike him she notes that he seems compassionate towards the horses At this time, Gisela thinks she will not like Valten because he had come to her father's home to purchase one of their fine horses for Valten to use in the lists. Gisela remembers meeting Wilhelm, Duke of Hagenheim, and his fourteen year old son, Valten Gerstenberg, Earl of Hamlin. Gisela loves horses, especially her light brown destrier, Kaeleb. Dressed as a beggar and now delegated to nothing more than a servant girl, Gisela is sent to the stable to help stable hand,Wido, harness the horses. Her father has just died and she lives now with her cruel stepmother, Evfemia, and her two daughters, Irma and Contzel. The novel opens in 1402 when Gisela Mueller is eight years old.
The Captive Maiden is an excellent romance novel loosely based on the Cinderella fairytale by Melanie Dickerson.
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