I have streamlined the concept of counters a bit more. I hope to get screenshots soon enough to explain it a bit more, but if all goes well then it will be very easy to understand for the player. Each element on the strategic map will have one function and some functions use Power Counters to work while others simply require the presence of a certain amount of Loyalty or Popular Support Counters. You will read something about the coat-of-arms section of the strategic map. This is a column of all nobles and heirs with their own heraldic shield. Nobles have next to them their loyalty rating, while heirs have space for Power Counters and Popular Support Counters. Anyway, here is a piece of the Design Document:

COUNTERS

Power Counters
These are placed under the heirs of a faction at the coat-of-arms section of the strategic map. The player can this way see how many he has left. They are placed at the beginning of the political phase and any unspent counters can be kept up to a certain maximum. The player can thus save for an all-out attack.

The amount of Power Counters that a faction receives depends on the following:
Total Popular Support Counters:
1; -2
2; -2
3; -1
4; -1
7; +1
8; +1
9; +2
10; +2
Each Noble with a loyalty of 4; +1

Loyalty Counters
These are placed right next to the noble's Heraldic Shield on the Coat-of-arms section of the map. They represent the loyalty of a noble towards either the Lancastrians (red rose) or Yorkists (white rose). A noble can have up to 4 counters of one kind. If no counters are present then the noble is neutral. The amount of loyalty gives the following effects:
4 LCs; 100% chance that the noble will raise troops, +1 Power Counter
3 LCs; 100% chance that the noble will raise troops
2 LCs; 80% chance that the noble will raise troops
1 LC; 50% chance that the noble will raise troops, 10% chance per turn that the noble will chance sides.
0 LCs; 5% chance per turn that the region rebels, 10% chance that it will randomly choose a side.

The loyalty of a noble can be influenced the following way:
Faction spends 3 Power Counters; +1
Total Popular Support Counters:
1; -2 per turn*
2; -1 per turn*
9; +1 per turn
10; +2 per turn
* Does not affect nobles with 3 or 4 loyalty counters.

Popular Support Counters
These are placed under the heirs of a faction at the coat-of-arms section of the strategic map. Kings and heirs need to be supported by population as without it they can hardly claim to be the rightful king of England. This idea is represented by Popular Support Counters. A faction can have at the most 10 counters.

The amount of Popular Support Counters is influenced by the following:
Killed king; +4
Killed heir; +2
Won major battle; +2
Won minor battle; +1
Rebellion surpressed; +1
Every turn a rebellion is not surpressed; -1
Evades country; -1
Lost minor battle; -1
Lost major battle; -2
Lost heir; -2
Lost king; -4

SPENDING POWER COUNTERS
The player can do the following things with Power Counters:
Incite a revolt
Cost: 5 PC
Description: A very costly action but it might divert the opponent or even decrease his popular support if not removed. This action is only possible when the faction has evaded the country.
Increase loyalty of nobles
Cost: 3 PC
Description: By clicking on a coat-of-arms the player increases the loyalty of a noble by one loyalty counter.
Raise a noble's army
Cost: 3 PCs
Description: By clicking on a heraldic shield of a powerfull noble the player issues a command to the noble to raise an army. Only 3 noble controlled armies can be present per faction.
Raise troops
Cost: 2 PCs
Description: By clicking on a heraldic shield of a lesser noble the player issues a command to the shire to raise troops. If the province becomes occupied by the opposing faction then the raised troops will disappear.
Set rendez-vous
Cost: 1 PCs
Description: By clicking on the rendez-vous flag the player can set a new rendez-vous.


I hope that you start to see the strategic possibilities that this system offers. Will you try to keep many nobles loyal or will you focus on a just a few very loyal? Losing a big battle will mean that you have lost control and the only way of regaining the throne might be evading the country and hire mercenaries.
Of course it will be a big challenge to write a challenging AI for it, but that won't stop me from trying.

Cheers,
Duke John