Loved your latest CBC post, and the interaction between Tywin and his legal heir got me thinking: if events at the end of the first book had gone just a bit differently and Ned, Sansa, and Arya were exchanged for Jamie and the other WW captives, what do you think Ned’s reaction / first conversation with Robb would have been like?

Well, I think Ned would be very impressed by how well Robb acquitted himself, and would probably keep Robb in a position of command while he’s healing from his injuries. 

In terms of their first conversation, he’d probably tell Robb that Stannis is the true heir to the Iron Throne and the North will declare for Stannis ASAP. And he’d probably tell Robb about what he learned.