Alle Kunst ist der Freude gewidmet

Do they praise him in front of him? And the question is if he really believes them. Personally, I believe he probably doubts them; he is convinced that everybody thinks he's weak after all. He'd believe them after someone he looks up to agree with the praise (ie. Vigarde).

Personally I feel like it was the combination of a lack of affection, and the absolute horror of what he knew would happen with Grado that caused him to finally collapse

Oh gawd, are you reading my mind? That does appear in my Lyon piece for you XD (Which still needs an ending that doesn't suck)

if Eirika and Lyon were involved, Renais helping Grado escape the disaster wouldn't have been an issue, I don't think.

Yeah... yeah, I can see that. Though I believe Lyon would have a guilty conscience if Vigarde told him that that would be shameful, regardless of being with a twin or not. He'd do it, but the issues would still be there.

In the normal game, Lyon wouldn't be able to be safed. Now, in that shiny, shiny AU you mention... 8D *wants, wants, wants (Ephraim/Lyon, that is)*