Portraits revealed through your current reading position.
Carl's mother, remembered for the many times she told his father the same thing Donut now tells Carl.
Recalled in a single line. When Princess Donut says "You're scaring me" and begs Carl to throw away the Ring of Divine Suffering, the words strike Carl like a slap because he remembers how many times his mother had said them to Carl's Father.
The memory is what forces Carl to stop and breathe, even though he still refuses to surrender the ring, insisting he needs it a little longer to get stronger.
The remembered voice that turns Donut's warning into an accusation Carl cannot dismiss.
Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings: