The Girl Born From Marble

Inside an empty chapel, there was a man and his wife who knelt humbly infront of a beautiful marble statue in the shape of woman carrying a small infant in it's arms.

The man who was on his knees was Duke James Winchester, and the woman beside him was his Wife Laura. Both had their heads bowed and their hands tightly clasped together in prayer.

Despite being a young and healthy couple, no matter how hard they tried they could not produce a child of their own. So, they decided to prostrate themselves before the Goddess of Beauty and Fertility, Mariella, and begged her to give them a child.

Laura's tears couldn't help but overflow onto her cheeks as she quietly prayed out loud.

"Goddess Mariella, please take notice and heed our prayers. We beg you, please give us a child. We have been married for several years now but haven't been blessed enough to conceive. All we want is to share our love with a child and raise it to be a wonderful person on day. We promise to love and cherish it with all our hearts, so please! Let us be parents."

Duke Winchester kept his eyes tightly shut in order to keep the tears that stung his eyes from escaping. What the Duchess said was true. They wanted desperately to have a child of their own. They wanted a family.

After a few moments of silence, Duke Winchester slowly stood up and extended his hand to his aggrieved wife.

There wasn't anything else they could do now. They had did what they came here to do, and now it was time to leave. It was getting dark, and it could be dangerous returning to their Dukedome in the dark.

"Huuuuuuhhh.." The Duchess let out a long sigh, and then propelled her self to her feet with the help from her husband's hand. "Miracles don't happen over night. If we give it time, maybe the Goddess will bless us."

She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it was too strained to be considered genuine. Even her eyes looked empty from the disappointment.

"Don't worry, my Dear Wife. How could the Gods deny us a child when it would look like it's mother and bless so many eyes?"

Laura's mood seemed to improve some, as she lightly chuckled at his joke. "I suppose you are right, since it's father is so handsome it would be the nation's greatest tragedy if you couldn't pass along such wonderful genes."

They both laughed out loud at that.

Duke Winchester looked down adoringly at his wife, and quickly wrapped his arms around her waist before she had a chance to think sad thoughts again.

"My Wife, you look even more beautiful every passing minute." He lovingly moved a stray hair behind her ear, and planted a firm kiss on her forehead.

They both were lucky enough to marry for love, and it truly showed in their relationship. Normally Nobles would have an arrange marriage planned by their parents to gain either riches or power. Sometimes both.

Thankfully, they both came from very well known Noble family's with equal money and rank, so both sides were ecstatic when their children fell in love. It made their jobs much easier.

If only they could have a child... then their lives would truly be complete.

Just as the couple had turned their backs to head towards the door, they were stopped by a strange cracking sound.

"Huh?"

They stopped in their tracks, almost frozen. When they finally did regained their composure, they managed to slowly turn they bodies in the direction of the sound. The statue.

What they saw was nothing short of a miracle. Inside of the arms of the marble woman, cracks were forming and marble rapidly shedding to the ground. Each pebble bouncing onto the ground loudly.

It almost looked as If the marble was nothing more than an egg, and a chicken was trying to hatch from it.

Soon, the shell of marble had all crumbled away leaving nothing but a small chubby baby in its wake. It could of only been one or two weeks old.

"James... it's a baby. The Goddess Mariella.. is holding a baby... not a marble one, but a real baby. Do you see it too, or have I gone mad?" She covered her mouth from the surprise. Even her knees felt like buckling.

He shook his head with wide eyes. "No. I see it too."

They both studied the baby who seemed to be fast asleep. They watched as it's chest raised and fell with every breath. It was truly a live, and seemingly healthy baby.

Laura turned around to face her husband so fast it startled him. Tears running down her cheeks.

"Our prayers have been answered! It's not the traditional way, but the Gods gave us a child! What else could this be but a gift from the God's?"

Slowly and extremely carefully, Laura reached towards the child and wrapped in into her embrace. After closer inspection, she noticed a thin layer of pale blonde hair on top It's head. Just like her husband's. How remarkable.

Laura smiled gently caressed the baby's cute and chubby cheeks.

"It's a girl." She whispered. "We have a daughter."

"A daughter?" The Duke's words sounded a bit choked up. He was clinging to her side with on arm from behind, and the other hand rested gently onto the baby's head.

"I'm a father?" Worry was clear on his face. Not from fear of suddenly being a Father, but that soon someone would come out of no where and tell them this was all a cruel joke.

Laura chuckled. "Yes, it seems so. What should we call her?" she asked.

He thought for a moment. "How about we name her after the God who heard our prayers, Mariella?"

Laura readily nodded her head. "What a perfect name. Our baby, Mariella."