c.why there is tension between the two sides in the tournament.
It is important to know this fact about the time period because it helps to explain some of the characters' behaviors in the tournament. The tension is not simply because of the contest. It is more deeply rooted because of the tensions between the Saxons and the Normans. Tension between sides does not usually result in indifference so option a is definitely wrong. Lady Rowena is the queen of the day because she was chosen by the winning knight - not because of the tensions. Also, tensions would not cause someone to defer.