Notes

for context: the girl was purchased at a black market auction for two hundred thousand gold, beaten and bruised. Her background is unspeakable, but I've brought her to my home in hopes of repairing her life. continue:

My footsteps echoed through grand halls. The girl's shaking had grown stronger when she'd heard the large, imposing set of double doors. She clung to my arm tightly. We walked for a moment longer before I pulled her into a room.
"Take off the cloak." I ordered. She turned sharply toward my voice and hesitated before fumbling with the edge of the cloak. Once it was off, I ordered she removed her clothes too. She stared in my direction, curling into herself, tears beginning to dampen the blindfold.
"Clothes, girl. Off." I repeated. She obeyed me.
I had the decency not to watch. I glanced back when I heard her stop moving. My eyes trailed over her body, but I paid more attention to the injuries than her figure. She had cuts, bruises, scars, burns. A few were fresh. I stepped forward and she flinched away, her shaking increasing tenfold.
"Be still," I ordered, and reached up behind her, untying the blindfold. Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked dark d fearfully. But... there was nothing to fear. The large, empty room was illuminated only by the evening light that filtered through silk curtains that hanged from the wide terrace doors. The floor was smooth marble, and the only thing that occupied the room was a large bath filled with steaming water. She stared at the bath, then at me, with an expression of both fear and confusion.
I gestured to the bath, and she looked back at it. Then she slowly approached the bathing tub. She slipped gingerly into the hot waters and leaned back slightly. Slowly she began to relax, her tense muscles loosening as she sank deeper into the water, and the tension left her body entirely, her eyes closing as she took a deep breath. I set soaps, perfumes, and fresh linens by the bath side and she moved away as I approached, closing her legs and covering her breasts with her arms. She shut her eyes. I turned and started toward the door.
"Take as long as you need." I said, and closed the door behind me.

I found the girl wandering the halls a couple hours later. She'd jumped when she'd seen me and instinctively pulled her arms over her chest. She lowered her eyes, taking on that look of dejection I'd seen on her frequently, like she was moments away from crying. I stood a comfortable distance away.
"...you must be hungry." I said. She nodded silently. "Dinner waits in the dining hall, and there is food in the kitchens, if you care for it." I said quietly. She nodded once more. She seemed to want to stay where she was, curled protectively around herself. I nodded and started to turn.
"...w-here..-" I heard her whisper. I turned back, surprised. So she could speak.
"...come." I told her, gesturing to follow.

The sound of her quiet, mouselike footsteps were eclipsed by the sound of my own echoing through the hall. I spared the benefit of a doubt that she hadn't wandered off, and glanced at her as I pulled out a seat at the table for her. She looked at me and then sat slowly.
I brought her a bowl of soup, some bread and meat, and a chalice of isimia. She watched. I realized she was waiting for permission. I motioned to eat.
The girl reached for the isimia. She took the cup in shaking hands and brought it to her lips, tilting it up. The golden liquid touched her lips and she swallowed, and her eyes widened. She set it down and stared at it for a moment. Then she tried the bread, meat and the soup. In moments she was digging into it with her bare hands. She was clearly starving so I excused the lack of table manners.
"Slow down," I told her. "Don't choke.
She slowed, looking up at me, and wiped her mouth hesitantly with the back of her hand.