This is one Masters opinion of what a good Master should be.  Personally, i think it is a little idealized and maybe not entirely practical for the long term.  Masters are people too, and far too often submissives and slaves lose interest when their partner turns out to be a real person, with faults, problems, and issues with life just like the slave.  Masters can't be perfectly strong 24/7, nor should they have to be.  In a truly loving and giving relationship, the submissive/slave half of the duo should expect to be the nurturer and comforter sometimes as well.  (It isn't all about being the center of attention, which some newbie sub/slaves seem to think it is).

The other thing i highly appreciate about the article is the fact that it follows my philosophy; if a Master truly knows His slave, there is no need for a safe word.  Most people that hear this think i'm nuts, and most websites swear up and down that every slave must have a safe word.  For me, it's refreshing to find someone that agrees with me for a change!  This article was first found by me at D/s Kiosk, which is located at http://www.cuffs.com.  It's a great site, and one i highly recommend visiting.  The author is unknown.

What should a Master be? The question can only be answered individually by both Masters and fledglings alike. Here is my rendition of what a Master should be.

The Master is a strong man, a dominant man. He is sure of himself, confident in his place in society. He cherishes females, revels by their presence. He is giving, caring, loving and understanding.

When the Master takes on a new fledgling, he worships her, discovers her, slowly possesses her. He gently pushes her, always ready to show her that she is strong, that her limits are not what she believes them to be, that she can be taken farther. In this, the Master reveals to the fledgling her own confidence, her own levels of self esteem.

As the Master learns his new fledgling, an understanding takes place. He senses her desires, her needs, her passions. With this new knowledge, the Master takes care of the fledgling, always giving what the fledgling needs but not necessarily what she presumes she needs.

It is the Master's responsibility to care for, protect and love his fledgling. If she is sick, he will feed her. If she is exhausted, he will allow her to rest, stroking her hair and she does so. If she is scared, he will comfort her. If she needs affection, he will hold her. These things he does willingly, because her knows her. He understands her as no one else does. He has seen into her soul and held it in his hands. Her mind is his to read, to know. Her body is his to feel. Her heart is his to caress. She becomes his possession.

The Master does not take away the fledglings identity, but allows her to grow into her own being, her own likeness, her submission to him is not a vehicle of punishment or hatred, but one of love and development. She is given the room to come into her own, under her Master's care, like a flower that flourished under the sun's warmth. She radiates from his love and devotion. She becomes a rose; a beautiful being that knows she is loved and cared for.

There is the profile of a Master: strong, able, confident, loving, caring, encouraging, and gentle. "What about punishment and discipline?" you may be asking. Punishment is handed out lovingly yet firmly. The Master is not angry, there is no place for anger with punishment. The Master is teaching. Punishment and discipline need not be physical, it can be psychological. It is not done out of harshness or hostility, it is done out of love and forgiveness.

In conclusion, I believe a Master does not mold a sub into what he feels she should be, but allows her the freedom to live and grow under his loving care. She becomes the woman she has always been, deep within her spirit. He takes her gift of submission seriously, knowing that it is not given freely or lightly. He always remembers how precious the gift is, how rare it is, how beautiful it is. For she has given him something that cannot be taken for granted; she has given him the gift of her soul.

The fledgling is a woman, firm in her femininity. She offers herself to a Master freely, of her own choosing. She gives the gift of her submission in exchange for his protection, care and love. She is obedient because she chooses to be, net because she is forced to be. Her first priority is pleasing her Master. She will do whatever he asks in order to meet his desires.

She comes to him a woman, but unsure of her place. With his guidance, she quickly learns what is expected of her. With this learning, she begins to give more of herself, of her soul, until she has given her all to her Master. There is no power given up, no control taken away. She gives what she wants to give and her Master holds the gift in his heart, always sharing, always giving back what she needs. An immense measure of trust is built between the two: the fledgling must trust her Master completely in order to give him so much of herself and the Master must trust the fledgling in order for him to accept it.

"Training" of the fledgling is just the process of learning what the Master desires. The fledgling must learn when to kneel, how to sit to please her Master, how to address her Master, and so on, as much as the Master deems necessary. She does these things because she wants to: she aims to please her Master in all ways possible. Even the most "bratty" fledgling comes to know just what is expected of her and what her Master's limits are. She may in play push him so far, but to exceed that limit, would be to displease her Master, something all fledglings attempt to avoid.

The fledgling seemingly has no responsibilities, but a deeper observation shows otherwise. It could be said, and has been said by many, that the Master holds all the responsibilities: however, many of the fledglings responsibilities are subtle enough to be overlooked. Of course, as mentioned above, an extremely important one is to please her Master. Perhaps more important, however, is the amount of faith the fledgling must have in her Master. She must believe and trust that what he does if for the good of all concerned and learn to NEVER question his motives. If he orders her to do something, she will do so happily, and without embarrassment, because that is what her Master wants. She will not harbor any sentiments or guilt from this action. She trusts that her Master knows what is best for them both.

As I said before, this is MY definition of the Master, fledgling relationship and it is only with that knowledge that I embark on the topic of "safewords". I feel that there is no need for safewords if the fledgling truly trusts the Master and the Master truly knows the fledgling. The Master may understand that the fledgling can go farther that she thought and, without the use of safewords, he is able to take her there. If, however, a safeword is used and the Master does not heed the fledgling's perceived limit, than an important trust is broken. Of course, in a new relationship. it must be taken slowly, so that the trust and understanding are able to grow. With perseverance, however, the two can reach a point where the Master knows how far the fledgling can physically, emotionally, and spiritually go and the fledgling can trust her Master's decisions.

The fledgling is a wonderful role to live with the right Master. With him, she will grow emotionally and spiritually into her soul. She will become what she is deep within, and learn to love freely and unconditionally. The Master also becomes the man he feels within his soul and the two embark on a journey that will take them out of the realms and limits of society and into the timeless dimensions of the universe.