Komer indeed was somewhat troubled, for he had to rely on balancing tactics to win time before he grasped overwhelming power, but such techniques of balance were difficult to master, and they easily incurred the dissatisfaction and hostility of both sides.
The hearts of the people now seemed considerably important; whether it was secular forces or religious ones, the key factor in determining the rise or fall of those powers was still popular sentiment. Of course, popular sentiment did not refer to the wishes of the great nobility, nor the ideas of the lowest commoners, but rather the views of the middle and small aristocracy, free farmers, and ordinary knights and merchants that existed between them.
If Komer wanted to successfully gain a firm foothold in Nicosia and truly become the master of this land, he had to take this into account.
