Anna's gut reaction was to tell her mother to go to hell.

She couldn't help thinking back to her so-called childhood.

How many times did she knock on Mother's door, hoping she would agree to play with her? How many times did she run to her mother, hoping for some comfort after suffering a bad dream, only to get brutally rebuffed and turned away. How many times did she go to her parents' chambers, hoping for a bedtime story?

How many times did she try to go to her mother for advice and comfort?

Especially as she grew into her teenage years and puberty kicked in?

Every time, her parents were busy with something. Whether it was doing research to help Elsa, courting dignitaries or ruling Arendelle, they never had time for Anna herself.

Now, after all this time, her mother was hoping to make amends.

Anna was about to tell her she was sixteen years too late for that.

Then Anna paused. She remembered a conversation she had with Kristoff about his parents. It was obvious that the premature demise of his parents still haunted him.

FLASHBACK

For once, Anna was in a good mood since Elsa moved to the Enchanted Forest.

Noticing that she needed a break, Kristoff arranged for a surprise romantic picnic.

The conversation was wonderful and the food was delicious. One of the few things that could even get Anna in a good mood was discussing their wedding plans. It was quite refreshing to see a guy equally excited about such an event.

Though it was a sore subject for both of them.

When it came to family, Anna only had Elsa and Olaf.

As for Kristoff, the only family he had were Sven and the trolls. Anna knew she had to be careful about the subject of his biological parents. The few times they came up in conversation, he would deliberately change the subject.

Not that she blamed him.

Her own parents were a sore subject as well.

Both of them had sad expressions on their faces whenever the subject turned to family. Even though Kristoff had funny stories about the trolls, Anna was curious about his parents.

"Kristoff...can you tell me about your...human parents?" Anna asked carefully.

For awhile, Kristoff didn't answer.

Instead, he stared at the red-and-white checkered blanket they were sitting on. He rummaged around in the picnic basket and pulled out a bread roll. He picked at the bread roll, absently rolling the crumbs between his fingers.

Anna could see the conflict on his face.

She suppressed her impatience.

This was obviously a painful subject for him and she had to let him set the pace. If she tried to hurry him along, he would NEVER talk about his parents. Anna didn't want to add to her fiancé's pain and suffering if she could help it.

So, she waited with uncharacteristic patience for him to speak.

He took a deep breath and finally raised his head.

"My parents were great." A sad, wistful smile curved his lips. "Dad taught me everything there was to know about ice harvesting." He let out a rueful chuckle. "It's a family tradition. In fact, Sven was the son of his reindeer, Odin. Mom didn't like the fact that Dad was teaching me how to harvest ice. She's always been nervous about water." A shadow marred his features. "It didn't help that her brother was a harvester. One day, the ice cracked and he fell inside and drowned as he wasn't a good swimmer.

"Mom was the best mother anyone could ask for." Kristoff continued. "She could cook all my favorite foods. Whenever I got hurt, she would kiss my booboos and lovingly tend to my wounds." Anna felt a brief flash of bitter envy. Her mother never did that for her. "When I got sick, she would stay by my side and feed me soup until I got better.

"Dad taught me what it was like about being a man." Kristoff said. "I learned how to hunt, how to take care of my family, how to live off the land. I miss them so much..."

"What happened to them?" Anna asked gently.

"They were killed by robbers." Kristoff said angrily.

"What?" Anna paled.

"They were traveling in a caravan." Kristoff explained. "Dad wanted to sell some ice in a neighboring town and Mom decided to go with him. There were rumors of marauders in the area, so they thought they would be safer going with a caravan. They were wrong."

"Oh, Kristoff." Anna gave him a comforting hug.

"They never caught them either." Kristoff said. "No one in the caravan survived."

"I'm sorry, I never should have-" Anna said.

"No, it's okay." Kristoff assured her. "You didn't know."

"I'm glad the trolls were able to take you and Sven in." Anna said.

"Me, too." Kristoff admitted. He stared at the sky. "But I would give anything to see their faces again. To hear their voices. Truth be told, my memories of them are starting to fade..."

FLASHBACK ENDS

Anna realized something.

Many people lost their loved ones.

Once you lose someone, you never see them again. How often did she lament upon the fact that she would never see her parents again? She didn't even have their bodies to bury.

Their remains were lost at sea.

Anna mourned the few happy memories she had of her parents.

Though the moments were few, far and in between, there were times she was able to spend with her parents. It was moments like those that allowed her to pretend she was part of a happy family. When she learned of their deaths, Anna didn't just mourn the loss.

She regretted lost opportunities.

Her dream of gaining their love and affection would never come true.

But now, she had the opportunity that most people would kill for. How many other people could confront a lost loved one, who was able to return in some fashion? If Anna walked away now, she would never get the opportunity to interact with her parents ever again.

She knew that instinctively.

How, she couldn't say.

She also needed answers for her own peace of mind. For years, Anna wondered why her parents pushed her to the wayside. She also wanted to know why they treated her like she was a piece of garbage. Why her care was mostly left to nannies, governesses and servants.

Anna had a grim feeling she would have been treated like dirt even if Elsa didn't have powers, or if her aforementioned abilities weren't a mitigating factor.

For as long as she could remember, her parents' ill-treatment of her haunted Anna.

They never gave her a proper answer as to why she came a distant second place to Elsa.

Now, Anna could get the answers she craved. If she ever wanted to move on with her life, she had to confront the proverbial elephant in the room. Anna took a deep breath.

"All right, Mother. I'm listening."