Kaleidotrope, January 2026
This haunting tale unfolds through the voice of Princess Naree, the third daughter of King Herrik, who addresses her unwilling companion Kawam—a woman stolen from her homeland to serve as Naree’s attendant. Through a series of nested stories and revelations, Naree gradually exposes the dark truth behind her father’s benevolent rule over the Three Lands of Uchakk.
The King is celebrated as a magnificent ruler who brought peace and prosperity to three formerly warring lands. His subjects worship him as the “Most Sacred King,” the “Healer of the Great Rift,” and “Keeper of Harmony.” But beneath this veneer of kindness lies a terrible secret: his transformation from a violent, rage-filled princeling into a beloved monarch came at a horrific price.
Naree reveals that her grandmother, a witch, devised a ritual to save the Three Lands from the princeling’s destruction. Her daughter—Naree’s mother—offered herself as his bride and became a “receptacle” for his anger and hatred. Through a magical bowl, she would drink his rage, absorbing his violence so he could rule with apparent gentleness and wisdom. This ritual killed Naree’s mother. Her two older sisters attempted to continue the practice but fell gravely ill and were sent away with foreign princes.
Now Naree, as the last daughter, bears this burden alone. Regularly summoned to her father’s chamber, she drinks from the golden bowl filled with boiling crimson liquid—a physical manifestation of his fury. The ritual scorches her from within, leaving her perpetually ill, unable to eat, and slowly dying. Her grandmother’s only advice was to find a replacement: another bride or daughter to take her place.
The King attempts to find new wives, but each one dies shortly after marriage, unable to withstand his true nature. Meanwhile, Naree continues her sacrifice, convinced it’s necessary for the peace and prosperity of the Three Lands. She has internalized her father’s manipulation, believing her suffering is the only path to maintain harmony.
Kawam, initially resentful of her captivity, grows to care deeply for Naree. She challenges the princess’s acceptance of her fate, arguing that peace built on one person’s suffering is worthless, and that the King’s wisdom is merely greed disguised as benevolence. Kawam attempts to intervene and is beaten by guards for her defiance.
The story concludes ambiguously. Naree has arranged for Kawam’s forced return to her homeland to save her from further harm. As a new wife has given the King an infant daughter—ensuring another generation of sacrifice—Naree contemplates her choices. Though she claims to accept her fate, her final words suggest growing awareness and perhaps the glimmer of courage to escape with Kawam, to choose love and freedom over duty and suffering.
The narrative powerfully explores themes of colonialism, patriarchal violence, the cost of complicity, and how oppressive systems perpetuate themselves through manufactured consent and the sacrifice of the vulnerable.
K.M. Veohongs is a mixed race Thai-American writer of speculative fiction and poetry. As the daughter of an immigrant to the US, she’s often pulled to write about diaspora feelings and the harms perpetuated by colonialism. Her work is featured in Translunar Traveler’s Lounge, Luna Station Quarterly, and elsewhere, including the Bram Stoker Award-nominated anthology Mother: Tales of Love and Terror. She is represented by Hana El Niwairi at CookeMcDermid.