Grey Parliament

The Grey Parliament is a constitutionally-enforced branch of the government of Montbay, although disagreements among its three branches typically lead to the nation being ruled as an absolute monarchy.
The branches of the Grey Parliament include the Noble's House, the Burgher's House, and the Peasant's House. These houses have differing electoral systems. Typically, the Noble's House is occupied by the nation's most powerful noble families, as votes are weighted by title, which makes it more lucrative for minor nobles to earn favor from higher ones by selling their support. The Burgher's House functions even less democratically, with representatives being selected through a meritocratic process, which ensures those of highest wealth - or their chosen stand-ins - hold seats. The members of the Peasant's House are selected by direct vote, divided up into Montbay's provinces, with each province being allocated a set number of representatives based on population.
The number of representatives in each house varies, but they are all equal in parliamentary vote, with the vote of one representative being weighted by the total number of representatives to balance the powers out. Originally, the Noble's House was intended to supervise the other two branches, while the Burgher's House drafted economic and trade policy, and the Peasant's House gave representation to the common folk and prevented them from revolt. This has, however, never been the case, as all three houses are required to pass a policy for it to be binding, and so the king has absolute authority so long as he preserves the favor of the majority of at least one of the houses.
The process of proposing a policy requires a supermajority of 2/3 in a single house, or a simple majority in a second house after a simple majority is met in a first house, in order to be brought before a joint parliamentary session, where all houses vote at once. At such a session, proposals which failed (beyond the one the session was called to discuss) may be brought to the table once more, in the hopes that voices from other houses may lend support. Joint sessions are thus the most dangerous to the authority of the king, and thus he typically tries to maintain the favor of two houses, as a supermajority in one is highly unlikely.
Joint sessions have, historically, led to crises, the most recent being Declaration of the People On the Status of Inalienable Rights. The current king, Oliver III, has proven to have little patience for such legislative anomalies, and ordered the dissolution of the parliament, as well as new re-elections, immediately after the declaration was read.