Being Traded/Loaned: A Slave’s Perspective on Serving a New Master

In a book by Elissa Gough on infidelity she writes, “Infidelity is as old as history – and just as complicated. The mere fact that one of the Ten Commandments exhorts us against adultery is a sure sign that even in Biblical times people strayed. Today, high-profile examples of adultery everywhere, from the front pages of newspapers to the back rooms of corporate offices.
The evidence is all around us. The reality is that wherever there are relationships, there will also be betrayals”. Trading a slave with another Master is infidelity. However, the Master/slave dynamic structures the infidelity in such a way that the infidelity becomes part of the slave’s duties and becomes an accepted ‘play’ act. The Master owns the slave. The slave is property. The Master, at his discretion, can loan out or trade a slave to other Master’s. The Master does not likely feel any qualms in doing so. He knows that the slave belongs to him and the act is entirely his choice. But what about the slave? How should and does a slave react? I would imagine there are a multitude of reactions but I would like to focus on two – loyalty and service.


Trading or loaning a slave can be an exciting experience for both the Master and the slave. However, coupled with the excitement the slave may feel conflicted feelings. Slaves, by nature of their service, grow a significant attachment to their Masters. The attachment does not only blossom in a 24/7 live in arrangement. Slaves who only see their Masters once a week can develop a strong attachment to their Masters. This attachment is a mixture of dependence and passion. It is not uncommon for the slave to feel lost when not in the company of their Master or to lack direction in the course of their daily activities. As a result, slaves develop a strong sense of loyalty to their Master. When a Master trades or loans a slave the slave often feels initial conflict. Serving another Master has a strong affect upon the slave’s loyalty. Serving another Master feels very much like infidelity. However, serving another Master in the context of trading and loaning is supported and sanctioned by the Master and so it is not infidelity but another aspect of service. But Masters should recognize the slaves can feel a strong sense of disloyalty and guilt and that these feelings should be addressed by the Master.

Trading and loaning a slave can also make a slave extremely happy, even if she feels a strong initial sense of disloyalty, because it presents a challenging opportunity for a slave to serve her Master in a thrilling way. A slave may experience intense physical excitement at the prospect of serving another Master. This feeling may override any feelings of guilt or disloyalty. However, a Master will have to carefully screen another Master to make sure that his slave is compatible with him and also to make sure that the Master will not damage his slave. In other words, the Master has to control the situation and guide the slave into a rewarding experience. The Master cannot abandon his duties to his slave merely because he is placing his slave in the hands of another Master. The Master must still be actively involved and vigilant. Trading and loaning can be an exciting activity for a Master/slave couple. But it is an activity that must be treated with as much care as in other direct activity that the Master/slave engages in. Trading and loaning is not excuse for a Master or a slave to neglect their duties.