Editing Small council (section)

==Organization and Duties==
[[File:Thomas Denmark council.jpg|thumb|400px|King [[Robert I Baratheon]]'s small council, by Thomas Denmark © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The small council traditionally consists of seven permanent members:

* [[Hand of the King]], the chief advisor of the king and the second-most powerful man in the realm{{Ref|AGOT|4}}
* [[Maesters#Grand Maesters|Grand Maester]], a representative from the [[Citadel]] who advises the king on any matter concerning governance{{Ref|FAB|Three Heads Had the Dragon - Governance Under King Aegon I}}
* [[Master of coin]], head of the treasury and finances of the kingdom{{Ref|FAB|A Surfeit of Rulers}}
* [[Master of laws]], an expert in the [[Laws and justice of the Seven Kingdoms|laws]] of the realm{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}
* [[Master of ships]], commander of the [[royal fleet]]{{Ref|FAB|Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession}}
* [[Master of whisperers]], the [[spymaster]] and gatherer of information{{Ref|AGOT|18}}
* [[Lord Commander of the Kingsguard]], leader of the [[Kingsguard]]{{Ref|AGOT|58}}{{Ref|ACOK|3}}{{Ref|ASOS|8}}

Councillors can be appointed by the king or a [[regent]].{{Ref|FAB|The Year of the Three Brides - 49 AC}} This can be done for a variety of reasons for instance to appease a certain party or region such as the Dornish seat. Regents and [[Protector of the Realm|Protectors of the Realm]] can participate in the small council meetings,{{Ref|ASOS|57}}{{Ref|ADWD|Appendix}} and the council may include additional members as advisors.{{Ref|ASOS|19}} Some queens consort, such as [[Alysanne Targaryen]], have attended council meetings in the past.{{Ref|FAB|A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade}}

[[File:Jonny Klein Small Council ChamberII.png|thumb|400px|The small council chamber flanked by a pair of [[Valyrian sphinx]]es, by Jonny Klein © Fantasy Flight Games]]

The council is headed by the king, the only one who can make the council's decisions into [[Laws and justice of the Seven Kingdoms|law]]. If the monarch has not yet reached the [[age of majority]], the small council can consent if they agree with the king's decisions.{{Ref|AGOT|57}}{{Ref|ACOK|65}} The Hand can also draft laws for the king.{{Ref|AGOT|4}} Once he reaches the age of majority, the king can appoint and dismiss councillors as he wills.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III}}

The small council can be entrusted with handling the day-to-day governance of the kingdom,{{Ref|FAB|Aegon's Conquest}} especially by monarchs uninterested in minutiae.{{Ref|AGOT|27}} Councillors may be called "[[lord]]s" even if they are not members of the nobility.{{Ref|AGOT|18}} Although their allegiance should be to the monarch, councillors' loyalty may be divided by faction or region of origin.{{Ref|ADWD|38}}{{Ref|ADWD|72}}

The small council meets privately in their council chambers in the [[Red Keep]].{{Ref|AGOT|20}} When the king is not in attendance, the Hand may sit in the king's place at the head of the council table.{{Ref|ASOS|19}} A knight of the Kingsguard stands guard outside the chamber.{{Ref|ACOK|3}}{{Ref|AFFC|17}} There is also a table for the small council situated at the base of the [[Iron Throne]] in the Great Hall of the castle.{{Ref|AGOT|43}}{{Ref|AFFC|43}}{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}