Chapter 34: Blue Convolvulus, Part 4

"How...how do you know all this?"

Sangre smiled sadly. "Because once I believed very strongly in freeing them, and took a great many risks to learn all I possibly could. Many secrets cost me gold, others cost me favors...and in the end, I paid a price I could not bear." He toyed with the ring he wore, made of rubies set in gold, a twin to the one on Elisabeth's wedding finger. Aubrey vaguely remembered a wedding ring of diamonds and sapphires that had vanished after Sangre had brought Elisabeth home.

Sangre turned the ring round and round, the rubies glinting in the fire light. "When I found you, Brey," he said, not looking up, "you were covered in blood. You kept crying that they were sleeping, and did not understand what had really happened. When we finally explained, you did not stop crying for nearly a week. It was much longer before you stopped calling for them in your sleep."