A/N: This one was a request from shepweir always, who wanted to see Emily's first time on the London Eye. I hope you'll like it. I'm still considering bands, but if there was anyone who didn't tell me their favourite band/artist, please do!
Unrestrained and Free
Why Connor had insisted she go sightseeing, she didn't know. Some things were age-old – like the Tower of London. Nothing was new about that, except in her time people couldn't enter in. Why anyone would want to, was another thing that Emily couldn't quite understand. It was a well-known fact that people had died and been tortured there, so what was the appeal?
Still, Emily duly visited the Tower, grimacing at the tools of torture and the gory stories the tour guides avidly told.
Glancing down at Connor's list of must-see places, she saw Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Sighing, she realised Connor mustn't have done his history. All of these places, she had seen before – from the outside at least. Of course, in her time women weren't allowed anywhere near the Houses of Parliament or 10 Downing Street. The lure of defying the social and cultural boundaries of her time was too strong and Emily found herself getting on board the tour bus and heading to Parliament. She wasn't surprised by the inner grandeur and the marble busts that adorned the building. It was everything she had expected.
Still, she enjoyed her moment of cheeky bravery as she sat upon the one of the red leather seats in the House of Lords before being promptly told off.
Grinning to herself, Emily imagined what her husband might say if he could see her now. Words probably weren't even likely. Emily was certain that Henry would have quite happily had her arrested.
After that, she hit Covent Garden, enjoying the quaint shops she found there. She purchased a Blue Willow tea set, ready to convert Matthew to a tea-drinker.
Then she got back on the bus and headed to Marble Arch, looking up at the detailed, carved marble in wonder. She'd seen it before, when it had stood infront of the newly completed Buckingham Palace, but it still amazed her. Trafalgar Square was the next stop, where Emily enjoyed being stood in a mass of flying pigeons. There certainly hadn't been as many in Victorian England. Over the other side of the river, the tourists were given an hour to explore the Tate Modern, which was filled with painting after painting, all of which caught Emily's eye. She particularly loved the cubist paintings, which were worlds apart from the drab, personality-less art of her time. Afterwards, the tour guides shepherded her and the other tourists back onto the bus and headed for the Natural History Museum. Inside, she enjoyed looking at the ancient dinosaur skeletons, thinking of how frightening the real things looked in comparison. She was also interested in the geological sections on earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, having never seen or experienced one.
After an hour in the museum and thirty minutes next door at the Science Museum, Emily knew she would have to come back to have a proper look around. But for the tour guides, their job was done as they handed the guests over to a new man, Eddie, who loaded them onto a boat and set about showing them the sights down the River Thames. The Gherkin was a particularly interesting sight, in addition to the skyscrapers that had developed throughout the city. Eddie was particularly good at providing the back stories of Tower Bridge, which interested Emily to no end.
But before long the river cruise was over and Emily was stepping gratefully back onto dry land, ready for the final stop. The bus took her to Jubilee Gardens, where Emily stared up at the structure in horror. She wasn't afraid of heights, per se, but it was awfully large and didn't look at all safe. The London Eye ticket she had allowed her to view London in the dark evening light.
Steeling her nerves, Emily stepped aboard the moving pod and waited for the other tourists to join her. Whilst they gabbled in French, German, Japanese and a host of other languages, Emily silently watched the sights. Her heart stopped racing as the pod slowly made the climb around the wheel, allowing her to see London lit up in the black sky.
When the pod finally came back down and she was stood on the ground again, Emily couldn't quite believe how lucky she was. It wasn't every day you saw such wondrous things. Perhaps she would thank Connor after all for such an enjoyable day. Not only had she witnessed and seen what she never had before, but she had also been able to spend the day walking about the city, unrestrained and free.
A/N: So, just Emily alone in this one. I'd love to know what you thought so let me know with a review. Also keep your favourite bands/singers coming. I want a good selection to make my decision from. Thanks for reading!