So... if he is only honest as AA does that mean the whole spawn path is a lie? He's saying all the right things a hero Tav would want to hear and only complimenting Tav and leading them on, so they stay with him? Only truly loves them if they give him everything what he wants? Look how he's behaving in the spawn epilogue. He's very theatrical with his body language.
My personal take is that No : He isn't honest with you when you don't ascend him. Not saying he isn't fond of you or even that he doesn't love you to some extent. However Tav is the one who stopped him ascending, whether through a guilt trip or whatever other means. The future he envisaged for himself from the first moment he heard about it in game is one Tav took away. I've heard Spawn Astarion people say he isn't thinking clearly in the itual chamber and so he makes wrong decisions - but that works both ways, he is just as capable of making incorrect decisions to NOT ascend. When he has time to really think about it he isn't daft, he'll realise Tav pulled a fast one on him due to putting their own personal morality first. And now he's stuck, no possibility of the ritual any more, no freedom, no seeing the sun and very vulnerable and has to live eternity in that half way state unless someone kills him. Of course hes going to be all complimentary, loving. He's got no other choice unless he wanders off on his own but hes going to resent Tav for the rest of their life. I think anyone in those circumstances would.
