Monarch’s Court: The Court takes care of trials, taxes, trade issues, and other things. There are really no official members. :/ They can be added, taken away, or given different duties and the King or Queen wishes. Of course, only nobility can be Court members, and they need to have clean backgrounds to be qualified as Court members. The Court has regular monthly meetings (about two meetings a month) and there are emergency meetings called often. So, in reality, the Court can end up meeting twice a week if they’re having a busy month. Now, even though this is the Monarch’s Court, the King or Queen doesn’t have to be present at all meetings (just the established monthly ones). The advisor usually presides all the other meetings (which is another way of saying that the advisor is the one who has to put up with everyone’s crap, because the Court is a madhouse during the emergency meetings because no one wants to be there and even though they’re called emergency meetings they’re not usually emergencies, and everyone’s rushing to get things done so they can get back home and have tea. Frighteningly enough, this system actually works.) Anyway, both men and women are allowed on the Court.

The Quarter Council: The Council takes care of the more serious issues of the country, like treaties and war among other things. Unlike the Court, members of the Council are men only and are chosen from a specific group and with specific qualifications. A number of men who meet these qualifications are chosen for election, and the Court and Guard vote. There are elections held, you guessed it, every four years. The Council meets once a year (except during war, during which they would have to meet regularly) and the meetings are named the First Quarter Council, the Second Quarter Council, the Third Quarter Council, and the Fourth Quarter Council. Also, the Quartet is automatically in the Council the next First Quarter after the coronation. The monarch attends each meeting, of course. The advisor, while encouraged to attend, technically doesn’t have to, for the simple reason of being able to be summoned to an emergency Court meeting without repercussion (because missing a Quarter Council meeting is considered treasonous, so it was decreed that the advisor could have flexibility in the matter).