While the assembled lords and knights dug into the generous breakfast, Owain took a moment to plan his approach before stepping down from the high table with his cup in hand. It was a practiced gesture, the powerful host making his way among the lower tables with an air of casual interest, as though the simple act of sharing a few words over breakfast wasn't a tool as sharp as any blade in his arsenal.
He started with Wes Iriso because Wes was the easiest to read and the hardest to manipulate, and because starting with the most familiar face in the room would make the rest of his circuit look more natural.
A Marquis had the right to question his vassals, but calling his men to the question over something like attendance at his hunt would only diminish his prestige in the eyes of the March. For something important, he wouldn't care what people thought of him, but for something that was simply… irritating, there were better ways.
