The following is a post with regard to an owner loving his slave.  The question was asked, "Is it necessary for a man to love his slave?".

I offer that while an owner is not obligated to love his slave, he may or may not, depending on his feelings, his choices, and the individuals involved in the relationship. If a slave, however, desires desperately to be loved, then it would not be wise for her to surrender to a someone who has no interest in giving such love.

If a man is in love with his slave, it only makes him weak if he allows it to; and if it pleases him to make allowances or to compromise, then I would suppose that is his choice.

In the time that I have been involved with both the Gorean and M/s communities, it has been my experience that the relationships where love flourishes usually wind up being the most fulfilling and profound for both parties. I see them outlasting many of the fly-by-night collarings that seem to run rampant within the community. That isn't to say that it is the only way or that it cannot be any other way, (I have heard of relationships where it has worked well otherwise) but in my opinion, to love a strong man unconditionally as his slave and to be loved in return with an equal passion and depth and with the strength of a true man is something that I believe is the pinnacle.

If the owner allows that love to rule him and allows it to control his environment instead of being the one to control it, then I believe that that such love can be detrimental to the M/s relationship. If that owner does not allow that love for the slave to adversely affect his enslavement of her, then in my opinion, this is as close to perfection as it could be.

I offer that in my own situation, I was enslaved before I knew of my owner's love for me. In many ways, I believe that it was the best thing for me. The lines were drawn, the framework fully in place and I was wholly at his feet in service before he ever uttered those words, "I love you."

I believe that when it happens in reverse, i.e. boyfriend and girlfriend or husband and wife become Master and slave, that the road can be much harder as rather than having the identity of Master and slave clearly delineated at first, the partnership role has already been established and was the precedent. It is harder, I would think, to go from being equal partners in love to Master and slave because humans are creatures of habit. If the man and woman have spent 10 years being warm and fuzzy and having an equal partnership, it is very difficult to change gears in midstream and be consistent afterward. I believe that it can be done, but the situation presents much more of a challenge.

My owner offers that there are times in the relationship where he has to step back, and look at his choices, and do what is best for me rather than what his love for me would push him to do. To those who do not understand the M/s dynamic, they may look at his choice and think that he really must not love me very much - but at these times, even if I don't see it immediately, I do realize afterward that it was a combination of his strength and his love for me that drove him to make the right decision for me as a slave and as a woman. If he didn't care so deeply for me, then why would he take the conscious effort to do what is best for me rather than taking the easy route. *smiles*

So, in the end I think that it all boils down to the individuals involved and the dynamic of each, individual relationship.