“It is always by way of pain one arrives at pleasure.” – Marquis de Sade
His Mistress set him weekly lines, 250 each time. This task was tedious and irksome. It did not hurt but the repetition of the line burned the message into his soul. And his Mistress chose the lines appropriately.
He opened the e mail and read
“The lines that I require this week are ‘I will strive to achieve ecstasy through agony’ 250 times in green ink.”
He groaned. He thought of the hours he would spend writing, working at this tedious and demeaning task, but as he wrote he reflected. And, reflecting, he learned. That was the point. His Mistress understood well the lessons to teach and how to bend her submissives to her will.
For achieving ecstasy through agony, and pleasure through pain was not something that would happen automatically, it was something to be willed, yes, striven for. He realised this the next time he saw his Mistress, and repeated the resolve to himself as she pulled the straps tight and secured him to the spanking bench. As she selected a cane, showed it to him made him kiss it, fled it, sent a practice stroke rushing through the air. He was afraid, he always was, but, as the first stroke landed, and he gaped at the pain, he knew he had the inner resources to handle it, to turn it to pleasure, This was an act of loving obedience.
And when she had finished, after the final few strokes that he had hardly felt, euphoria enveloped him. And when she undid the straps and hugged him after he had got unsteadily to his feet he cried.
He had got the reward of loving obedience. She had shown him love even as she made him suffer.
A post for Quote Quest and Kink of the Week. Click on the badges to see what others have been posting.
Eve's Temptations 
Great story-telling. Reminded me of the learning journey one encounters in Venus in Furs.
Loved this line: He was afraid, he always was, but, as the first stroke landed, and he gaped at the pain, he knew he had the inner resources to handle it, to turn it to pleasure.