The transition from Crown Prince to King was difficult for a few advisors to accept. Some didn't witness firsthand the carnage left behind after Stephano killed his father. Those who didn't see his viciousness didn't have the reality of their new king shoved into their faces so violently.
For those who didn't bear witness, they took longer to consider Stephano III their true ruler. During meetings, some seemed to slight him or talk down to him more than they should someone who was meant to be their ruler.
Of course, it shouldn't be so different when he escaped the capital for a month without so much as a word to the people he deemed unimportant.
When they discovered the hidden letter in his study after a couple of weeks, they brought an entourage to Montclair and were forced to stay in an inn while the festivities of the Spring Equinox Festival raged on for a week.