The Swordmaster's Matter - Memory's Children, #1

The Kingdom of Ivonwell is dying; crushed by the twin threats of internal malaise and a mysterious barbarian foe. Out of options and facing destruction the King dispatches Oulen, his most trusted advisor, on a desperate mission to beg for help from the rival Empire of Andelon. Unlike Ivonwell, Andelon is insulated from hardship, soft with self-indulgence, and deaf to the impending dangers from the world outside their borders.
Oulen and his assistant Emory trade one dire circumstance for another becoming entangled in the bloody political infighting that rots Andelon's core. In order to save their homeland they must first rescue an Empire.