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We sneaked over to the bushes when we arrived . Annabeth wasn't there yet so we might as well get comfy . The bushes in front of us were high and wild . There was a tree behind us . Noone could suspect that we were here . The blonde finally walked in . Her back was to us . She made her way to the edge of the pool . Her blonde hair was less curly and she had dismissed the crown and the belt with the knife .

She was wearing a simple dress and was about to take it off . I guess the myth that the handmaiden said was not true because she sure can't sense us . Suddenly , I heard Luke scream . I turned to look in his direction . He was pointing to something behind me . I turned . Leaning against the tree was Annabeth , holding her knife in one hand . My eyes flickered from the blonde girl to Annabeth . If the blonde wasn't Annabeth then who was she ?

"What do we have here ? Percy and Luke equals PUKE . (More info ? Refer Goode High School for Performing Arts Chapter 24) I should've known you would do that . Luckily I had the hunch to send my handmaiden out there . She's Lucy by the way . Now if you don't mind , please leave . I'll see you this evening . By then , I want one of you to fess up on who thought of this .", she dismissed us . That easy ? We walked away , tints of pink on our cheeks . We had gotten caught . Outside , there were a couple of girls waiting . The one upfront was wearing a silver band . She was young . The girls behind her were wearing brown bands on their heads and I saw two familiar people .

"Hey Bianca , Thalia .", I said , greeting them . They were grinning .

"Let me guess , you got caught by Annabeth .", she said , smirking . That made me and Luke turn deep red . The young girl cleared her throat . She held out a silver bow .

"I am Artemis , head of security . This is Thalia , Bianca , Phoebe , Zoe -my leuitnant- and a few others . we will meet again at dinner . Rookie advice ; don't do that ever again .", said the girl named Artemis , amused . They walked in and we sent our gazes after them . Dinner was going to be hell . We walked into the palace . Nico and the others joined us . They were grinning from ear to ear . Apparently , somebody eavesdropped and told the whole palace . Some maids sent me looks of disgust . Some even smacked Luke on the head . Looks like it was a crime .

"What you guys did was exceptional .", said Travis , cracking up . We were walking to our assigned rooms . I facepalmed in embarassment . Nico and Jason were starting to snicker and tried hard to hold in their laughter . Yeah , it was embarassing . If my father learnt about this I would be dead . He would be completely embarassed because we were discovered by a girl . I felt a need to punch someone . But we arrived in front of our rooms . I opened my door , walked in and slammed the door . There was an indoor bathroom and I took a shower . I felt energized . I changed into a simple outfit . Something suitable for having dinner with the Queen and her head of securities . It was almost dinner so I opened the door .

Luke and the others were already out in the hall . They greeted me . We walked together to the dining room . It was already set and the head of securities were already at the table . We walked to our side and the girls shot us looks of displeasure . We saw all of them . Artemis , Thalia , Phoebe , Bianca ... But where was that girl . Zoe , I think was her name . My thoughts were interrupted when Annabeth walked in . She was wearing a blue dress and sat down at the head of the table next to me . We sat down after her . The servants walked in and served the food .

The local food were delicious and good . Annabeth ate with manners . Travis however , was sending playful looks to a girl in front of him . She was sending him looks of disgust and disapproval . I felt sorry for Travis because he didn't get her hints that she didn't like him . After dinner , the table was set to be all buisness like and Annabeth looked at every face there was at the table .

"Where's Zoe ? Wasn't she with us when we were having dinner ?", she asked . Artemis shook her head . Phoebe spoke up .

"When I invited her here , she said , she left her earrings at a rock in the woods . She said she wanted to go get it and would meet us here .", said Phoebe with distress . Annabeth stood up immediately and walked out of the room . We all stood up and walked after her . She walked outside with determination in her eyes . A guard handed her a bow and an arrow . She took it and walked off to the woods . Artemis and the girls were struggling to run after her . We followed with our swords in our hands . We walked in the woods and looked around . Annabeth was observing her surroundings . It was extremely quiet .

Suddenly , something swooped down towards Artemis and Annabeth . It had something sharp . It was almost hitting Artemis on the head but something blocked it . More like someone . It was Zoe. She was injured in her stomach ande hit her head on a nearby boulder . Zoe took the sword for Artemis . The attacker withdrew his sword and slashed it again , hitting Annabeth on her arm . There was a cut . I didn't know whether it was deep or not but Annabeth drove him off . The attacker , furious he didn't get the target , ran off in the clearing . Nico and Jason ran after him but returned when he ditched them . The girls crowded around the injured Zoe . She had a lot of cuts , as if she was beaten until now .

"Ar-Artemis , I-I w-w-was t-t-tor-tortured .", she struggled to talk . Artemis held her down and Annabeth was busy dabbing Zoe's stomach with something . Annabeth sighed in defeat . She turned to Artemis .

"It's ... not enough . She won't make it , Artemis .", Annabeth said in a small voice . Artemis rapidly shook her head . Tears welled up in her eyes . She cried . They were shoulder -heaving tears .

"No ! She'll make it . Have faith !", she kept saying . But Zoe looked up . Her eyes were in pain and she didn't want to show it .

"I won't make it . I'm sorry Artemis .", with that , Zoe let out her final breath . Her body was now lifeless . She had died . Annabeth comforted Artemis who was crying on her shoulder . Bianca was silently sobbing on Nico and Nico was trying his best to console her . Annabeth stood up with Artemis . She ordered Jason to pick up Zoe's body and we made our way back to the palace . Annabeth walked up the steps before us , with me behind her . Suddenly , her body fell against mine . I caught her and lay her on the steps . We had completely forgotten about the gash on her arm . I picked her up and took her to the infirmary as fast as I can . The wound was getting worst .

I love Artemis . She was embracing her kid side . She was protrayed as a 12 year-old right . Will Annabeth make it ? Maybe . Artemis will do the thing she did in the Titan's Curse : make Zoe a constellation . Not literally in this story .