It swung open. The Golden Court was just what you’d expect: golden. The walls were gold, the floors and ceilings were gold, and the tapestries and draperies were woven in gold brocade. The mirrors and the window frames, the tables and chairs and vases, were all gleaming gold, and a golden chandelier hung from the ceiling like an upside-down tree, lit with a hundred twinkling candles. Gold dust must have been mixed into the wax, because the candles were gold, too. Sentries dressed in gold livery stood at attention by the door with gold spears crossed to bar entrance. They lifted the spears to let us pass and then slashed them back into position. There was music playing, a harp and a lute. It took me a moment to see who was playing them because the musicians’ gold outfits made them blend in with the rest of the room. Gold statues lined the walls of the court. There was King Barf perched atop a rearing stallion. King Barf dressed in full armor with a sword raised and ready to strike. King Barf holding sacks of gold coins, tossing them to bowing beggars.
