Don Rafael is the father of doña Salvadora Veronica Lopez y Rodriguez de Ochoa, Lucas's former fiancée. He was in a difficult position as mayor of Barcino; his wife was dying of consumption and the Montaigne invaders were using this, and other advantages, to hold don Rafael virtually hostage to his duty. He was pressured into giving Veronica's hand in marriage to don Marcao de Ochoa, then the Montaigne-backed governor of the Torres province.
Since then don Rafael's wife has died, and don Marcao lost favour with the Montaigne authorities who announced that he and doña Veronica had been executed. Don Rafael retired into loneliness.
