Phoebus Apollo

Phoebus is one of the statues in the castle grounds who comes alive under the ring's magic, and he treats the children as charming curiosities rather than intruders. He is friendly and gallant, but his casual suggestion that Mabel become a statue reveals how lightly the enchanted folk regard mortal consequences. His explanation of Arithmos and the need for exact wishes gives the children their first real clue about how the ring's power works, and his warmth makes the magic feel less like a trap and more like a world with its own strange etiquette.