THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR THE QUEEN'S COUNCIL

1. You will turn up for all Council meetings, regardless of when they are set.  Your inconvenience is of no relevance to the Queen.
   
2. You will behave in an appropriate manner at Council.  That does not mean insulting anyone who disagrees with you.  Debates will be rational and polite at all times.  And before anyone asks about dwarf throwing as a means of settling an argument, forget it.  The dwarves on Council have always been ferocious and will not hesitate to wield an axe, albeit at your knees.  And it is for the Queen to lay down the law after all.
   
3. FNN will never be allowed to film Council sessions so if you are tempted to ask about this, save your breath.  The Queen really won't change her mind over this.
   
4. You are expected to speak freely and honestly.  The Council not just advises the Queen but brings to her attention things that are affecting the running of her realm/her peoples' well being.
   
5. You will not waste time at Council.  Council meetings by their very nature will tend to be on the boring side so all should be to the point so that the amount of time councillors are bored for is limited.  This is definitely in your own interest as well as the Queen's.
   
6. You will not share details of what goes on at Council with FNN unless you have written permission from the Queen to do so.  She does not think her people need to know every little detail of how the government is run so is  unlikely to grant that permission.
   
7. For long Council sessions, food and drink will be provided and the Queen is tolerant of alcohol, she likes a drop herself, but you must not get drunk at such meetings.  You will embarrass yourself.  The Queen will see to that.  It is a great way of preventing repeat offences.
   
8. The Council Leader will have a secretary seconded to him/her/it (the Queen is well aware some species prefer not to think in terms of gender or have genders which are changed at regular intervals).  That secretary will minute the meetings with copies going to the Queen and her Council Leader for approval before the rest of the Council see them.
   
9. Councillors must submit a brief outline of what they wish to discuss well in advance of any meeting so it can be worked out how long a meeting is likely to take.  This is obviously issue dependent so the more information the Queen has the more accurate she can judge when to have the meeting.  Emergency situations are different of course and meetings will be held as soon as possible to deal with them.
   
10. Councillors will not allow themselves to accept gifts or part time jobs with those who want to influence the Council's deliberations in any way.  The Queen has seen what kind of scandals this can lead to, having watched the Parliament on Earth, and doesn't want that kind of thing happening in her realm, thank you.