My mom is sitting on the floor with a small candle. I don't think I have ever seen her look this burden. She has dark circles under her eyes and her skin looks gray in the warm light. The smile that earlier was full and bright is now tight. I don't know how she found out about the secret spot, but she clearly knows a lot more than me about many things at the moment.

"Sit America, we need to talk about your father." I sit down on the sad pillow that lies in the corner.

"Ilea has changed for the worse in the time you have been gone, America. The poor are poorer and there are daily fights in the streets." I wonder why I didn't see it, have I really been that ignorant?

"I know that the king keeps information away from you and the other girls. He is scared you are going to speak up because you would be heard." The way she speaks tells me that this is more than just an informing meeting.

"Why do you think that people would listen to me? When I talked about the diaries, people got mad, and when I tried to save Marlee and Carter, people thought I didn't respect the law, and that I was a selfish brat."

"That is exactly what the king wants you to think. Yes, it was irrational, but the lower castes always had your back, and they will still fight for you."

"What do you want me to do? I don't see what I can do when I get shot down as soon as I lift a finger." Doesn't she see that I can't hide because of the selection and I can't speak up because of the king?

"We haven't told you this before, it would put you at risk, but the time has come." She stops to look me in the eyes, and I wonder what she is looking for, so I try to look as powerful and trustworthy as possible. It works, after a few minutes, she continues.

"America, your father is a rebel." I gulp, what? Is my father one of the rebels that attack the palace and the innocent farmers? Does he kill innocent guards because they are trying to protect the country? Is he a northern or a southern rebel?

"Northern" she answers as if she can read my thoughts, and I wonder how she knows that I know about the two groups. I don't know what to say, I wasn't prepared for any of this, so I simply nod. At least he isn't southern.

"I know that you have experienced the attacks from an unfortunate side but know that they don't attack innocents."

"What about the guards?"

"Only one guard has been killed by the group and he was far from innocent, I promise." But a life lost is still a life lost, right?

"Are you a part of the group?" I can't help but wonder if my mom has been fighting battles all along. The last few days have put everything in perspective for me.

"Not on the front line, but I have helped your father and his friends in time of need why else would we always pay the Legers to come clean?" I see my world crumble down in front of me, the Legers? Many pieces come together to something larger, and that is when I realize it.

"Mr. Leger never died in the mines." I don't say it as a question, because I already know the answer.

"No, he didn't, but I can't tell you more at the moment." I nod and start to wonder if he is really dead or he is somewhere out there.

"Is Aspen a rebel?" I can't help but think about the irony of a palace guard fighting on both sides at once.

"Not officially, and I can't tell you more because it is not something we discuss openly, but you are important to the plan, so maybe you will find out in a while." A plan? And is that how she knew about the secret spot?

"What is the plan?"

"I can't tell you yet. But I can tell you what happened to your father." And all of sudden her eyes go black as she begins the story.

"it all started two weeks ago, the night before you called. I was lying in the bed, but an owl kept howling keeping my awake, but your father never noticed that I wasn't sleeping. It is highly confidential what is happening at the meetings, so I wasn't informed about it happening, and if it hadn't been for me being awake I would never have known he was out for the night.

I saw him jump out of the window, but I couldn't look after him, I would have known too much.

After that, he walked for miles into a place in the forest. It is an older bunker from before the new world, and the royals don't know about it. He met up with his group, and they walked over the plan. They were supposed to go to the town three hours away in a car with some tunnels that I can't tell you about. They planned to terrorize the mayor's house, but a guard saw them, and two men lost their lives that night. Your father was only shot in the arm, but together with one of his group members, he managed to come back to the tunnel where they walked for three days, trying to come home.

I believe that both men made it to the end, but I haven't been told, when your father came back a guard was waiting at the door. That is how your father got shot in the leg.

They never saw his face on the night of the attack, so they couldn't prove anything, but you know how the rules are, the guards' words are worth the same as a hundred men's.

When they realized that it would create a scandal if one of the selection's girl's father was killed, they stepped back and let him recover, but he hasn't been allowed to leave the house since, and I'm doubting they will let him make full recovery.

I don't know what happened to the other man, because I haven't been told his name, but I doubt he was as lucky as Shalom." I am shocked, I can't believe they didn't tell me sooner.

"How long has this been going on? And why haven't you told me?"

"From before you were born, there has always been a fighter for freedom in your father, I guess that is a part of the reason why I love him so much. And we always knew we would tell you at a point, you are like your father you can take the burden and help the people lift it. None of your siblings know it, but from the day you were born I have known you would become a rebel." I shake my head, how can I be a rebel?

"What about Maxon, how can I make attacks towards a man I have to spend so much time with lately."

"We can't be selfish now, we are in a war, but I doubt that Maxon is like his father so he might not have to die in the name of the cause. Especially if you were to become queen, then you could simply keep him in a tight lash and no one would have to be hurt."

"This was never about the sweet prince, was it? It was always about power." It is a statement, and my voice has switched to whisper-yelling, I am beyond frustrated, but still, somehow it makes me feel a little better that she thinks of me as more than just a pretty face.

"No darling, there is no such thing as a sweet prince."

"But how could you tell me about dad, when you couldn't tell me about anything else?"

"Because the chances of you snitching on your father are low enough and we need you."

"Then what is the plan?"

"All in good time, America. All in good time."