Over time, she and Percy saw each other often: at balls, at ceremonies, and whenever their families visited. But, not two years after their first meeting, Annabeth and Thalia received the terrible news from the crying king and queen.
"My dears," King Fredrick said, "Helike has been submerged. No survivors have been found."
Annabeth didn't realise the significance of this, until Thalia gasped. She leaned forward and whispered, "Percy's kingdom is Helike," into Annabeth's ear.
"NO!" Annabeth shouted, before her knees gave out. "No! Not… not Percy!" She was growing fond of that Seaweed Brain, as she had started calling him. She tried to find out more information. "How? How did it happen?"
"A tsunami, dearest." Queen Athena said, even her tears were graceful.
"But, Percy's a strong swimmer! And the water was his second home!" Annabeth argued, grasping at straws here. She knew that nobody, not even Percy, could survive a Greek tsunami. The sea god Poseidon (another ironic thing) must have been really upset with them.
Annabeth couldn't believe it - she wouldn't. Somehow, she knew that Percy must be alive. She felt that she would be able to feel his death. Somehow. She knew Thalia agreed, from the pursed lips her best friend wore. The two girls nodded at each other, and they both mentally agreed to find out as much as possible about this tsunami.