Monarchial reigns (i)____________ tended to be more (ii)____________, dynastically speaking, than those royal courts in which palace machinations had not become a quotidian affair. In the latter, a pall of complacency would fall over the kingdom so that if suddenly there were an earl with an axe to grind, so to speak, his path to usurpation would be (iii)____________. A. marked by intrigue B. imperiled C. largely unobstructed D. characterized by hubris E. volatile F. a treacherous one G. weakened by attrition H. robust I. hardly assured