"This woman," said Kamchak of the Tuchuks, brusquely, his voice stern but almost breaking, "is called Aphris—know her—she is Ubara of the Tuchuks, she is Ubara Sana, of my heart Ubara Sana!"
-Many have criticized Tarl of freeing slaves. However, Kamchak here does the same. Other Goreans also do not keep women they care for as slaves. Considering all the sayings in Chapter 25 about a woman only finding freedom in slavery, would it be more appropriate for Kamchak to keep Aphris a slave?
In this girl's opinion, Aphris is freed to give her standing among the Tuchuks, but she very much doubts that the relationship between the two changed. According to Outlaw, it's not unusual for a Man to free His slave to then make her His FC.
There is no marriage, as we know it, on Gor, but there is the institution of the Free Companionship, which is its nearest correspondent. Surprisingly enough, a woman who is bought from her parents, for tarns or gold, is regarded as a Free Companion, even though she may not have been consulted in the transaction. More commendably, a free woman may herself, of her own free will, agree to be such a companion. And it is not unusual for a master to free one of his slave girls in order that she may share the full privileges of Free Companionship. One may have, at a given time, an indefinite number of slaves, but only one Free Companion. Such relationships are not entered into lightly, and they are normally sundered only by death.
Outlaw of Gor Page 54
For a woman who can be comfortable being Free, being a Free Companion is the best of both worlds.
There is no freer nor higher nor more beautiful woman," I said, "than the Gorean Free Companion.
Nomads of Gor Page 290
But perhaps the best quote to demonstrate that their relationship might really not change too much is the following:
"This harsh treatment, incidentally, when she is thought to deserve it, may even be inflicted on a free companion, in spite of the fact that she is free and usually much loved. According to the Gorean way of looking at things a taste of the slave ring is thought to be occasionally beneficial to all women, even the exalted free woman. Thus when she has been irratable or otherwise troublesome even a Free Companion may find herself at the foot of the couch looking forward to a pleasant night on the stones, stripped, with neither mat nor blanket, chained to the slave ring precisely as though she were a lowly slave girl. It is the Gorean way of reminding her, should she need to be reminded, that she, too, is a woman, and thus to be dominated, to be subject to men. Should she be tempted to forget this basic fact of Gorean life the slave ring set in the bottom of each Gorean couch is there to refresh her memory."
Priest Kings of Gor page 67
Other women would not fare as well if they were freed, in her opinion. she thinks that Kamchak knows that Aphris will not revert to the person she was and the attitude she had before. In the Tuchuk camp, she won't be in the same location with the same luxuries, and she would be less likely to default to what made her unbearable before.
To keep Aprhis as slave would be to deny HER true personality. She showed that she can be both and superbly. Tarl freed slaves and just left them freed. Kamchak is keeping his "girl" close by his side in public and beneath him in private. One thing to consider, He can always return her to the dung sack and I'm pretty sure she knows that. 😉