She's more cognizant about her recent slips about Merlin of late, so she's careful with how she words things. As she wishes she could do with Merlin, he doesn't exist in her account of the gifts.

"I had a cloak made for Gwen, and you know what you have received. I gave your father a pair of new goblets for feasts. The old ones were looking worn." By worn, she means scratched from being dropped on the floor too many times.

The irony of it all is that Arthur wanted it engraved in celebration, Morgana wanted hers cursed.

"I do not think it would be good to ask him which one he likes better, though I am confident with the personalization of yours, he will prefer it." As, Morgana is convinced, Uther is with all things.

She's a little uncomfortable with the idea of the goblet's engraving is specifically regarding her.

"Whatever could you have had engraved on it to commemorate such and unimportant event?"

Morgana's issues are showing again. The longer she stays in Camelot, the harder it is to hide.

Then there's Merlin to worry about.

One day, Arthur is going to look back on this conversation, on a dozen conversations, and realize a great many things.

"I cannot be happy about any of the events surrounding it." It's completely truthful, but she's well aware Arthur should take it in a completely different way.

"I have always thought such things, how your father treated me, was simply due to other things." Repressed guilt perhaps?

The statement she makes next has far more significance than even she realizes.

"Perhaps he secretly likes being contradicted. Maybe he knows he needs it at times, as that is the only purpose I serve."

Looking at Arthur, she smiles and that twinge of regret she gets when it comes to whatever is going to happen to him returns. She really doesn't know, and after Fyrien -- she's not sure what she could do in the future.

"I think you would listen to me far more than he does."

Careful Arthur, there's a lot riding on that answer.

Considering his tone, and his mood, Morgana understands exactly what he's talking about.

"So I cannot a suggest the annual celebration of throwing produce at Merlin?"

"No, it would be a shame to let a competent servant get away, or one that could be featured in such an event."

Not that Merlin was going to get away with anything, in Morgana's mind.

"I hope this Yule has been nothing but a joy for you, Arthur."

This time, Morgana is much more prepared, and she even shows a little sisterly affection of her own.

Arthur gets a quick kiss on the cheek.

She's not supposed to feel this way about Arthur, Morgause has made that clear, but at the moment, Morgana's forgotten.

That old idea, and the whispers of palace gossips for years, actually makes her cringe. "I think we are long past that." When she looks behind her though, and sees a couple of the lords staring, lords who have all failed to get her attention in the past, she rolls her eyes.

The goblet gets as different reaction. She runs her fingers across the inscription. "It is lovely, Arthur. I can see you kept the smiths busy for this Yule."

"I am certain he appreciates your patronage, nonetheless."

Morgana looks at the lords again and is tempted to follow Arthur's lead, and would have, if she was half a decade younger.

"If you do not catch him now, you will not, and we cannot distract him by making frog noises anymore."

Morgana smirks, but this isn't a mean one, at that memory.

"If he holds you up for more than a half an hour, I promise to rescue you."

Morgana takes promises very seriously, but for now, lets Arthur go to give his gift to his father.