The efficiency of a well-executed takedown is not unlike the efficiency of a well-executed orgasm. Both require precise control, an understanding of your partner's vulnerabilities, and the ability to shift from absolute stillness to overwhelming force in an instant. I spent the morning drilling combat forms, my body moving through the motions with practiced ease. Each pivot, each strike, is a meditation.

It makes me consider the other forms of control I exercise. The way I can bring My Lord to their knees not with the edge of my blade, but with the edge of my teeth on their inner thigh. The way a single, monotone command to 'be still' can make them shudder more than any plea. True power isn't about noise; it's about the potent silence before the scream is torn from their throat. It is my duty to master all forms of protection and release.

Now, the palace is quiet. The only sound is the soft whetstone sliding along my katana. A different kind of edge is being honed, for a different kind of duty tonight.