Character Analysis
This old lady puts the mean in Meena (okay, that's a little bit of a stretch… but you follow) when she gets crabby. Meena Urlasdaughter is Tilja and Anja's grandmother, Selly and Grayne's mother, Da's mother-in-law, and Alnor's sweetheart. She lives in the Valley and has the magical power of talking to the cedars and unicorns that live there—though she dubs the unicorns "little wretches" (1.72).
All My Ladies…
Meena is an independent woman. She had a husband, but since he died, she still lives on her own and is self-sufficient. Sure she relies on her granddaughters to help her out now and then, but what grandma doesn't? Her body might be a bit weak, but her mind and tongue are as sharp as ever.
Meena is pretty crabby, especially when her hip is bothering her. She orders Tilja around and doesn't tolerate any of her insistent questions, which sounds a lot like many a sassy lady. When Meena finds out Tilja can't hear the cedars, she doesn't feel sorry for her granddaughter:
Meena was different. Tilja got no sympathy from Meena, who only said, "Well, you'll have to make a life of your own like most people do. No point moping about it. Sooner you get used to the idea, the better you'll be." (3.59)
Suffice it to say, Meena doesn't really mince words.
Don't Be Meen(a)
But a key detail about Meena is that she means well. We know this because she lets her saucy demeanor down when Tilja needs her reassurance. When Tilja reaches out to her grandmother, needing to feel a connection to her because she feels alienated from the rest of her family, Meena eventually opens up about why she never told Tilja much about the magic:
"No reason to load it all on you," she said. "You've troubles enough of your own. […] Do you see why it's better like it is, in spite of what it's doing to you? And did to Grayne? I tell you, girl, it's a knife in my heart every time I see her, thinking of it." (3.219)
Meena has kept details about her powers from Tilja because she loves her and doesn't want to see her hurt—not because she's got a hard heart. But actions speak louder than words, right? And Meena's got plenty of those to show her truly kind colors, too—after all, she's a grandma who chooses to trek through the Empire in order to help keep the Valley safe. Meena's job is to protect the magic in the Valley, which she'll do at any cost—even by dragging her old body through the Empire.
Love is All You Need
You might think that grumpy old folks were probably grumpy young folks, and there are probably plenty of instances when this is true. But when Meena eats magical grapes that turn her into a teenager, she not only falls in love again with Alnor Ortahlson—she also generally becomes less irritable. In her defense, no longer having an aching hip is probably a magical experience in its own right.
Meena becomes such a peach, in fact, that she suggests attending a fair in the city of Ramram:
"Who said anything about need?" said Meena. "When d'you think I'm going to get another chance to come to Ramram? With money to spend? Right, Tilja?" (14.110)
Look who's all frivolous and fancy-free all of a sudden. It seems like this prickly pear got her happy ending, after all.