Etheria

The Forbidden Love Affair, the War, and the Point of No Return

But the little changes the Sang'gres made soon became irresistible. And Raquim fell for Minea as she fell for Raquim.

Raquim first saw her as he was making way to the Fountain of Truth to inquire about the stranger he had just rescued (Ybarro, recently rescued by Odessa). In a humorous encounter, she had introduced herself as Ssheda. Later, they met again among the company of Diwatas, Minea still confused of her loyalties (still hurt from her father's elopement and subsequent death). There she told him she was Coesha, a Diwata-slave.

They protected each other, Minea forbidding the soldier Victu from revealing the fugitives who had killed his men during the Hagorn-Raquim encounter with an Etherian squad and Raquim later on rescuing her from the clutches of her surrogate mother, Avria (as to be revealed later on).

Their love would be tested just as hardly as in the original history, for here as well Minea was engaged to be married to Hagorn.

During the many trips of Minea across the woods, she came across Raquim. He professed love for her, told her so many avowals of passion. Minea warned that he did not know who she really was. A Diwata-Slave? But Raquim was far caring.

At that point, Gourna entered the scene, Hagorn trailing. The Hathorian prince was inquiring about Minea, and the loyal handmaid went after her. There followed an embarrassed exchange of looks between Raquim, Hagorn, Minea and (yes!) Gourna. Raquim used the logic that the Diwatas would be attacked because Minea betrayed their positions to profess that he rejected Minea's heart forever. He had lied to her, he openly told Hagorn later.

Of course, that wasn't the case when later he found Minea suffering under the hands of Avria. He went out of his way to try to rescue her, and give her refuge in Sappiro. After the Sang'gres rescued Minea, Raquim was at her side, all doubts forgotten.

Hagorn's bitterness began to threaten the very alliance of the original world. Without the unity of Encantadia's four peripheral kingdoms, Etheria could not possibly fall. And Hagorn was not bluffing, demanding that Minea be first handed to him before an alliance can be secured.

Raquim was torn between his love for Minea, and the need to save Encantadia. Finally, in a move reminiscent of the elopement of Memen and Ornia some time before, Minea and Raquim themselves eloped, away from Sappiro and away from the doomed alliance. Raquim swore that he no longer cared for "the friendship of Hathor and Sappiro, whether it prosper or wither". Unwittingly, he might have changed Encantadia for the worse.