The Idea Factory - The Imperial Soldier

I'm a little behind on putting these up. It wasn't that I didn't have a million ideas, just that I put them somewhere else. So, here goes.

2 girls grew up together in the same town, under control of an empire that rules the world. They want to be together, but neither of them have much in the way of prospects. So, one of them heads to the city to join the army, while the other stays behind and tries to make something of themselves there.

Told by each of their own perspectives, but the soldier's story starts when she heads to the city and the town girl starts a few months before, telling of their romance. Halfway through the book, though, the soldier is sent to put down a rebellion, as the town girl's story leads to her joining said rebellion.