Consensuality

A true Master/slave relationship is one of consensual ownership. It is a radical statement of the slave's commitment, devotion, respect and trust in a Master. By definition, freewill is removed in slavery. The slave acts according to the Master's plan.

By no means does this relationship give the Master the authority to perform illegal acts, and the bounds of such authority should always be safely determined pre-hand. There are other devices of safety such as safe words that should always be employed in such true Master/slave relationships.

The Master is expected to lead and rule with authority in the interest of the larger unit. The authority comes from the gift of submission and devotion, not the command. Should absolute power absolutely corrupt the Master, the slave would not be expected to endure, it is a consensual relationship, after all (between consenting partners, of course).

At no time should either the Master or a slave consider themselves better than the other, they are equals in a hiearchal relationship. Just because they have different roles does not make either superior or different.  Each completes the other.  Just as a horse and rider are a team, who is in control?  The rider gives direction, the steed powers them to the destination.  Sacrifices are made on behalf of one to further the team.
 
The simple act of a Master/slave relationship is about the slave defining her (or his) Dom(me) as a Master through her/his submission through her obedience to Him (or Her). A Master cannot exist without that gift of dedicated submission. Mutual interests and respect have been defined well enough so that there is a mutual trust.

That gift of submission has to be given every single day and night. To break the trust that is given should by definition corrupt the consensuality of the relationship, and the relationship will undoubtedly crumble. But a true Master will understand this, and that there is no such thing as absolute power. The very act of being a Master is an act of trust.  It can not happen without a slave trusting her Master to lead.  Without a slave, a Master merely becomes a Dom, for He has no one to Master.

Not everyone will be a slave, think not that this is a problem. Not every Dominant will become a Master, either.

subs are merely submissive by nature and have defined boundries. They have not pledged obedience as property.  They refuse to give all, or at least to sacrifice certain things.  They may sacrifice a great deal, but they are not "obedient" and define themselves within the context of their relationship.  They reserve the right to question authority.

slaves are not powerless, by any stretch of the imagination. To think so is foolishness, the slave can be a seductress and get her ways, and this dance is often what a M/s relationship is about.

Boundries have to exist for a slave because W/we have laws to follow. Laws are important, though some D/s relationships may even push the boundries of law. But you don't have to enjoy M/s for that.

The Master needs to receive His (or Her) gift of submission everyday.  Because a slave defines a Master through her submission, He is only a Dom without a slave. But the Master defines the role of all partners once given the authority, molding the slave.

Still, it is the slave that bends her will to that of her Master.  

The important thing to remember is that in an M/s relationship, the very context of being a Master is defined by the act of slavery, and although that is usually given at one point in ceremony, it still has to be given daily.

Through that act of submission, the Master then defines both roles, his/hers as the Master and how much is controlled, as well as who the slave will be, how much freedom she might enjoy, if any.

Still, the parameters of the Master/slave relationship has to be approached before hand with a mutual agreement and trust.  And although Goreans think that a slave (referred to as a "kajira") is a slave and that's all there is to it, we live in the real world and denying that fact worries Me that they might be living in too much fantasy.

Consensual slavery is consensual.  That means agreements are made, a relationship defined, a path explored.

And in the end I only hope that love and devotion are also involved.