Back at the palace, the mood was a mix of solemnity and delight. Her other siblings and the common folk were delighted that the monster was finally put down, but her parents had taken one look at Alistair's bruised, bloodied head and the rest of his body, and had to be escorted back to their rooms due to the shock.
Daphne tried not to feel too upset about it. Alistair was their prized son― how could they deal with the visceral proof of his death? Never mind that he was a monster that terrorized hundreds. All her parents saw was their child, dead.
As a result, most people in the palace dared not to blatantly celebrate, but that didn't stop Atticus. He presented Sirona with Alistair's body and he even wrapped him up in a bow. If he delivered it when Prince Nathaniel was present, well, that was just an awful coincidence.
Check out the prequel: The Hidden King's Stolen Wife