Throne of thorns, cape of blades

Long ago did a king rule
A king just and kind to all
His son was a vagrant, so long gone
No heir to the throne of thorns
The king proclaimed his son his heir
But his son was nowhere to be found
The king walked the streets ensuring
His people's welfare and safety
He'd listen to all inquiries presented
And solve what he could of any mystery
The king cared not for drink or dance
Not for bedtime companions beyond his queen
The king only cared for the throne of thorns
Knowing that only when you sit on it for too long
You get comfortable enough that the pricking no longer hurts
The king drew his sword when the war did come
No bandit nor barbarian could stand in his way
He expanded to newer lands and held more power and sway
But his expansion was never militaristic
He never stole resources nor took control of people's lives
Instead he tried his best to improve that which he touched
A Midas who knew how to manage his affliction
His mind knew vast
His body was all might
His heart was colder than stone
To all but his people and his wife
He ruled with an iron fist
But he never held his grip too long
Nor too tight
He often would chase dreams that his people always had
He'd bring through trade what his country lacked
Whether cultural or material, he always made the deal
But tragedy strikes when the king falls ill
Bed-ridden and lost for a year
But his mind was still sound, his body only grew frail
No longer could he benefit the realm
No longer could he claim
To be the man he once was
He no longer remains great
His eyes barely see the letters sent by his vizier
His hand cannot write no more
The queen left his side to find their vagrant son
To locate him, ensure he's no longer gone
But amidst the chaos and confusion
The king dies to a deathly cough
His vizier takes his place
A man of sound mind and cold heart
One who could not see beyond the papers in his face
The throne of thorns pricked him much
But he got comfortable, too
He outlawed the queen's return
Claiming she was a traitor, and her quest a fool's
He finally found his place on the throne
He will finally rule
The throne got comfortable
The people grew weary
They missed the king that brought them all manner
Of exotic cultures and foods
The king that was merciful to all
But swift in justice to those who would
Try and test his mercy
Or the extent of his will
This new would-be king is nothing like his previous
For he is only as good when it comes to foreign affairs
Politics and whatnot, the same way he
Managed to claw his way to the chair
The vizier took the king's place
But one day storms in a man
The spitting image of the king
Draped in shades of black
Here to collect, here to avenge
Brandishing a voice so loud
His boomed across the kingdom's far reaches
Everywhere, everyone had heard
That the prodigal son returns
Dressed in his black cloak and leather gloves
Behind him a cape of blades
He went on an adventure to the furthest corners of the world
And came back a seasoned warrior of thirty eight years old
There by the grace of his father was he quietly sent away
His father knew this would become
The vizier was essential in maintaining the space
For when the son's time to rule does come
The crown prince is home, the prodigal son's returned
The cape of blades is chucked into the tyrant ingrate
The crown is moved to the rightful, the throne of thorns is no longer comfortable
The kind king's long lost son is back home to rule
His mother died with him away from home
Unlike the vizier, this man's not cruel
His heart's kinder than his father's, too
For he saw what weakness, poverty, and hunger could do
And what little choices men are left with
When their worlds come crumbling down
So he ensured to keep his people happy when the times are good
His people keep trusting him when times get rough
For the son of a man with the Midas touch
Learned that true value lies not in gold
But in the heart from which it pours
His father was larger than life
The prince has the kindest soul
But he was not weak
A survivor for years he was
He's among those who lived truly free
Off the land, wherever he goes
This tale does not yet end
But this chapter concludes now
The prince after all
Needs a betrothed
For his father was great
His father was a hero
Heroes get remembered
He will be a legend, or so he thinks
And legends?
Legends never die