Priorities

Kristoff loved his job as an ice harvester. To him it wasn't a job, it was a true passion. Every morning when he went out with Sven to collect ice for the day, which he would then deliver to people throughout the kingdom. Of course, ice was only one passion in his life. He had another passion that was much stronger, and more valuable than ice: his family. He and Anna had been married for six years, six long, wonderful years. During that time, Anna had given birth to a healthy baby boy named Erik, who would be turning five in a few short days. Erik and Anna were the light of his life; he loved them with every beat of his heart. It was hard to believe that years ago, he only desired a life of solitude. Now here he was, a prince consort, and Arendelle's Royal Ice Harvester and Deliverer. Life sure had a funny way of working out. Lately, however, Kristoff's ice business had been taking on toll on him and his family. His deliveries sent him to kingdoms all around Arendelle, often keeping him away for days on end. Because of this, he didn't get to spend much time with Anna and Erik. In fact, he missed his sixth wedding anniversary because he was on a trip to Germany. Anna pleaded with him not to go, to just let another one of the ice harvesters do the job, but Kristoff was insistent upon being the one to do it. It was his job, he couldn't shirk his duties. Nonetheless, Anna was beginning to get very irritated with him. She kept her cool most of the time, but now she was having a hard time hiding her disappointment.

In a few days, Erik would be turning five years old, and Anna and Elsa had been working on throwing him a special party to celebrate. Kristoff promised Anna over a month ago that he would be in attendance, but today he broke some unpleasant news to his wife.

"What do you mean you have to go to Sweden? Erik's birthday is in two days!" Anna cried.

"I know, Anna, but we just opened up a trading agreement with the kingdom of Labraza, and I should be the one to personally deliver the first shipment of ice to the King. Don't you understand?

"Kristoff, it takes several days to get to Sweden, you won't be back in time for the party," Anna tried to explain.

"Yes, I will. I've been to Sweden before, it only takes a day. We're not even going to spend the night either. We're going to make the delivery, and then come straight back to Arendelle. We'll be back before the party even starts."

Anna wanted to argue with him, but Kristoff did know sea travel a lot more than she did. Maybe he was right. She decided to allow Kristoff to go.

"Fine, but I'm telling you, if you miss the party, Erik is going to be devastated. You missed his play last week, and he was really upset over that. You promised then that you'd make it up to him by being there at his party! He's your son, Kristoff! Don't keep letting him down like this. Don't keep letting me down."

Anna walked away, leaving Kristoff alone with his thoughts. A small part of him wasn't sure if he'd make it back in time for Erik's party, but he dismissed it. He'd made the trip to Sweden before. He knew how long it would take.

If only Kristoff's goal of making it back in time came true. When they arrived at the kingdom of Labraza, a storm hit, causing the men to spend the night there instead of returning straight home. By morning the storm was gone, and they sailed for home, but it took almost all of the day to return to Arendelle. Upon sailing into port, Kristoff ran straight for the castle, threw open the doors, and made his way to the courtyard out back. When he entered the courtyard, he saw that the tables were still set up, the streamers were hung in place, and there was even some wrapping paper left on the ground. And in the middle of it all, stood was Anna with a frown on her face.

"Anna, let me explain…

"I don't want to hear it, Kristoff," Anna cut him off.

"I can see exactly where your priorities are, and your son is clearly not one of them," Anna said.

Anna started to walk back into the castle with Kristoff following at her heel. "Anna, there was a storm, I had to stay the night! We couldn't risk sailing back! Please try to understand!"

"You never should have gone in the first place!" Anna yelled, turning around to face him. "I told you that you wouldn't make it back in time for the party, and what do you know, you didn't. I had to sit there, and watch that sweet little boy cry while blowing the candles out on his birthday cake, because his father wasn't there."

"Anna, I'm sorry, I should have known better," Kristoff said.

"Don't apologize to me, Kristoff! It wasn't my birthday! Apologize to your son. That is if you still remember that you have one!" Tears were glistening in Anna's eyes as she said those last words to her husband. She spun around, and marched back upstairs, where she met Elsa briefly.

"Hi, Elsa," she sniffled, before walking off to her bedroom.

"Anna! Anna! Let's talk about this!" Kristoff called out to her.

"I'd say you've talked enough," Elsa said, firmly. "Kristoff when I made you Arendelle's Royal Ice Harvester and Deliverer, I expected you to uphold your duties. However, when you married my sister, I expected you to fulfill a much bigger commitment, bigger than our job. I expect you to be a loving husband, and father, one who put his family above everything else. Lately, you've really let me down in that commitment. And even worse, you let Anna and Erik down as well. I strongly suggest you straighten yourself out if you want to keep your marriage. I'll trust you to do what's right."

Elsa had the final word, walking off leaving Kristoff alone on the staircase. The ice harvester made his way to Erik's room. Kristoff could see the light on from under the crack in the door to his bedroom, letting him know that Erik hadn't gone to bed yet.

Kristoff gently knocked on the door. "Son, can I come in?"

No answer.

Kristoff opened the door, and stepped inside. He saw Erik seated on the bed playing with the stuffed reindeer that Kristoff had given him for his birthday last year. The young boy didn't make eye contact with his father as he entered the room.

Kristoff sat down on the bed beside him, but Erik continued to look away.

"Erik, words can't begin to describe how sorry I am for missing your party. It was poor planning on my part. I should have thoughts things through better. Please forgive me. You know how much I wanted to be there."

"Then why weren't you?" Erik asked.

Kristoff opened his mouth to respond, but quickly realized that he had no valid response to his son's question. Anna was right, Elsa was right, and by God, Erik was right too. He needed to reorganize his priorities. He needed to place the things that were most important to him first. Kristoff loved Erik, and Anna so very much. The man would lay down his life for them if he had too. How could he let his job take over his responsibilities as a husband, and father? When Elsa gave him her blessing, he promised to always be there for Anna, and any children they may have. It was a sacred promise; one that Elsa didn't take lightly. If he failed to uphold that promise, then what kind of man was he?

Kristoff wrapped his arms around his son, and kissed on the cheek. "I love you, Erik. You know that, right?"

Erik didn't answer.

"You're the most important thing in my life. You, your mother, Aunt Elsa, Sven, and Olaf, you all mean the world to me. And I've done a rotten job in showing it lately. Now I need to make things right. I need to be the father I should be. That's why I've decided to resign as Arendelle's Royal Ice Harvester and Deliverer.

Erik looked up at his father, shocked. "But you love ice! Ice is your life!"

"No, son. Ice is just a hobby of mine. It's not my life, not anymore. You are my life, Erik. You are, and you always will be."

Erik embraced his father in a tight hug, holding onto him for dear life. Meanwhile, Anna looked in on the father and the son embracing with a big smile on her face. Kristoff looked up, and saw her peeking in. He then looked back at his son.

"What do you say you, your mom, and I go on a picnic tomorrow?" Kristoff suggested.
Erik's eyes widened. "Can we bring chocolate?"

Kristoff looked at Anna, who smiled in return. "Of course we can. And you can have as much as you want."

"Yay!" Erik cried. By now he had seen his mother in the doorway.

"Come on, mama, join in!" he cried.

Anna entered the room, and for the next hour, they laughed together, played games together, and when it was all over, they fell asleep together on the bed.

In the morning, Kristoff looked over at his wife and son, who he loved more than life itself, and smiled. "I think I got my priorities in order, he thought.

A/N: Please review, and let me know what you think!