Alicia Townsend lay in her bed and stared at the rough wooden ceiling above her. Snippets of the night’s conversation floated through her mind. As usual on Friday nights, her dad and his friends had gathered in the main room of their small house to discuss the local politics. Naturally, their conversation had focused primarily on the recent rebellion that had split the country in two.

“We’ve tolerated the corruption in the government long enough,” her dad had declared. “If the king wants our money so he can build a bigger castle for himself, then let him come and get it.”