_Author's POV_
Kaelen held it together for four minutes.
Rowena had given him approximately three in her internal estimate so she was willing to call it a marginal improvement.
She had been watching him from her vision the entire time, tracking the jaw, the eyes, the way his hands kept adjusting on his helmet. She knew his tells. He was going to do something stupid.
Pierre had not moved from his position beside Rowena. He was not being aggressive about it. He was simply present, standing where he was standing with his helmet at his side, which in itself communicated something that Kaelen's pride was finding completely intolerable.
Kaelen turned toward the nearest cluster of competitors and officials.
"There's a woman in this competition," he finally did the stupid thing
