At the head of government stands the king. The machinery of government exists to put his decisions and policies into practice. The king’s ministers are just that – servants who minister to his will.
The King’s Ministers
The King’s ministers include:
- Chamberlain – Whereas the Exchequer controls the collection of revenue, the Chamber controls its expenditure.
- Chancellor – When the king wishes to issue legally binding orders, the clerks of Chancery write them. All charters, letters, and the writs required to initiate court actions are sealed with the Great Seal of Narcerion, which is held by the Chancellor. The Court of Chancery hears cases for redress that common law cannot provide.
- Keeper of the Privy Seal – The Great Seal of Narcerion is kept in Chancery, but if the king travels about the country, he uses a privy seal to authenticate personal letters and orders. King Edgar rarely travels any more.
- Lord High Steward – Traditionally held by the Earls of Carlion but now in abeyance, in former times this minister supervised the royal household, the administration of justice, and the appointment of royal councilors.
- Treasurer – The Exchequer is responsible for royal finance. Its chief officer is the Treasurer. The Court of Exchequer is the court of law that tries all cases related to royal revenue.
- Wyvern King of Arms – The Kingdom’s chief herald.
Feudalism
Although much of the kingdom is held directly from the Crown, five Dukes hold vast portions of the kingdom. Four of these have further subfeudinated their lands to Earls or Barons. In addition, several Earls and Barons hold their lands directly from the Crown.
The great Dukes of Bapar and Tanelorne each have lands and armies that rival those of the King.
Royal Justice
Even in those lands not directly ruled by the King, the Royal Justice extends to all capital crimes, including kidnapping, mutilation, murder, treason, sedition, international affairs, maritime affairs, feudal issues,
illicit magic, and counterfeiting.
For this purpose, the Kingdom is divided into Shires. Each has a Sheriff (or in one case, a Royal Forester), appointed by the King.
The Court of King’s Bench sits at Kisar and hears criminal cases where the Crown is the prosecutor.
The Court of Exchequer sits at Kisar and hears all cases related to royal revenue.
The Court of Chancery sits at Kisar and hears cases for redress that common law cannot provide.
More information about local justice is provided at Local Government.
Military
In addition to the feudal levy, Narcerion has both a Royal Army and a small Royal Navy.
The Earldom of Melatar
A note about the peculiar situation of the Earldom of Melatar may be in order.
Melatar is ruled by the Countess of Melatar, who holds her land from the Duke of Bapar. However, the Countess currently resides at the Duke’s court in Fangaerie and administration of the area is in the hands of the Sheriff of Melatarshire, a royal official.
In theory, the Duke of Bapar has some sway over who the King appoints to this position. In fact, the current Sheriff is also a Captain-General in the Royal Army, and he has established military rule in the area. While this suits the Royal Chancery just fine, the Duke is growing increasingly uneasy about the situation.
