SOLVED. Y/A Fantasy girl goes to school and makes friends with a mage girl during a war. [s]

[Alys]

I read this back around 2002. It's a fantasy/action/romance/LGBT I think? It was either a two or three book series and took place in a fictional world/region/setting. I remember one of the book covers featured a girl with a violin or a fiddle and possibly holding a ball of light in one palm. I think the author was a woman and it was published in the US, but I don't know for certain. Some spoilers ahead:

It's a story about a girl who goes to this school for musicians in this sort of fantasy setting where some people are magically talented and some aren't and she meets a girl there whom she becomes very close to but then there's a war and the friend gets taken away because of her magical abilities, so the protagonist goes on this long adventure, spending some time in a prison camp at one point where she meets all kinds of people including a guy named Giovanni and his sister, who lead the resistance in the camp, which they end up taking over. Later, the protagonist becomes a spy disguised as a young man in the enemy's base, all while still searching for this long lost friend whom she eventually finds in the end but because this friend is a mage, she's considered the enemy and when the resistance takes over, they start executing mages so the protagonist helps the friend escape but is spotted letting her go with a passionate goodbye kiss and then is tried for treason to be put to death.

I've been searching for this book/series for years and haven't found any hint of it anywhere. Any help is appreciated! Thank you in advance!

[Sebastian]

I think this is Fires of the faithful :)Fires of the Faithful

[Sebastian]

Was this it? :)

[Alys]

Yes! That's it! Omg thank you so much for finding it, you have no idea how long I've been searching for this! I tried several other book-inquiry sites and got nothing! Thank you thank you thank you! <3

[Sebastian]

Your welcome! Really glad I could help! :)