He didn't want to teach her that, he wanted her to stay young and pure and innocent forever, but she's too smart and clever to act that way, to be that way.
With her long dark curls and enchanting blue eyes there's no mistake she's the daughter of Nathan Ford and Sophie Devereaux; that's what scares him the most, he fears she's going to end up like them, a thief with no sense of right and wrong and most importantly a loner, broken person...
He wants her to be a good girl, but when she walks in the room and asks him to teach her how to play cards the way grandpa used to he knows he already lost the game.
He doesn't know how she found about that game, it probably has something to do with her lack of respect for others privacy, and after all she found out Sam's drawing when she was three…
He places the deck on the table and asks her what game does she wants to play hoping she back up on the last minute.
-I want to play "Find the Queen" - Her smile, her face, even her figure always lead people to believe she's a fallen little angel, yet as her father he can see beyond that smile, he sees deeper in her eyes: he can see how much of a diabolic genius she as inside her and that's terrifying; to see his darkest part in such a vulnerable and small human being…
He sighs and starts playing, he does it just the way his father did with him. "Watch the queen" he says. When he finally stops and asks her where the queen is she stares at the three cards blankly, she finally peeks one, it's not the queen so, and they play again. And again, and again. At the end of the fifth game she blinks once than twice and bits her downer lip; finally she pouts a little bit and says she doesn't want to play the game anymore. He knows that face, is the same expression Sophie does when she knows she lost a fight and he never felt so relieved after witnessing it.
Morgana is not that clever after all, there's a chance she's going to be straight when she grows up, a chance she won't ever be connected to the world of crime; he can finally breathe.
She gets up from her chair and climbs on his lap, she places her arms around his neck and asks him if he won't be disappointed at her for being a quitter, there's fear in her voice. He hugs her tight, his little girl; his angel and assures her he won't ever be disappointed at her for something as insignificant as a game.
"I love you daddy!" and the words come out breathing in his ear on a gentle whisper. She lets him go and practically jumps out of his lap.
He observes proudly as the seven-year old walks way on a blue dress, her hair going all the way to the small of her back. Her hand is already on the doorknob when she turns around and asks him where the Queen is. He shifts on his seat, "I hid it on my sleeve, that's the trick" he tries to pull the card from his sleeve, but it's not there anymore. He looks at the table disoriented, that's when he notices her devilish smile. She pulls the card form inside her own sleeve and the said smile wideness in victory as she leaves the room.
"Mum, I did it! I conned daddy!" is the last thing he hears her say as she steps away from the door.
Nathan puts the deck away, maybe it's like Parker says, maybe it's inevitable because it's in her genetic code or something, he doesn't know. The only things he knows is that the fact his daughter maybe turn into a thief just like him when she grows up scares the life out of his body…