is there any way Robb could have worded his letter to Balon that would have got the Ironborn on board? I know Balon wanted to attack the North already anyway, but he seems to at least consider Lannisport as a target before he gets to the “give [him] a crown” bit, and gets hung over it being too hard to hold long term. if robb had comitted to a long term occupation of the Westerlands though, would Balon look at taking the coastlines himself more favorably as an option?

If Robb sends a letter addressed to the King of the Iron Islands that offers an alliance, Fair Isle, and the Westerlands coastland in return for military support, but that lets him know that if the Iron Islands attack the North, 17,000 Northmen are mobilized on the western coast of the North against them, a boom chain has been built across the Saltspear, the Manderlys are building a western fleet, and Theon will be raised up as a usurper against Balon…

Maybe Balon doesn’t attack the North. But maybe.