SOLVED. YA Medieval Fantasy. Sword in the Stone retelling. [s]

[Davida]

I read this book around 2014 or so from a library. It's a retelling if the king Aurther/Sword in the Stone from the point of view of another person. The main characteris a young woman disguised as a squire? I think. The main part I remember is the very ending where she was the one to take the Sword from the stone WITHOUT magic because she was curious if she could do it. She used melted butter to get it out. But then couldn't figure out how to put the Sword back into the stone for Arthur and used a lightweight replica.

[Becca]

The melted butter thing is such a unique detail that hopefully someone will recognise it, but until then it might be worth browsing lists e.g. YA Books With Arthurian Legend.

[Davida]

I'll do that! I hope someone remembers this book cause I really enjoyed it

[Annie]

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve?

I’m not sure about the butter, but I remember the main girl character dressing as a boy. And the plot is about Merlin creating the legend of Arthur through tricks that look like magic.

[Capn]

Here Lies Arthur for clickable from Annie.

I add a lot of books here, too, which incl. YA: Arthurian Fiction for Children https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

(Just FYI - there's a whopper (750+) of a list for girls dressed as boys, in case you or anyone else reading this cares to trawl that one). https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2... ;)

[Davida]

I looked up the book here lies rather isn't the one :( I remember aurther being kind and friends with the Mc before he finds out she's a girl

[[deleted user]]

Could it be Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen?

[Summer]

I'm afraid I don't remember the title, but I've definitely read this, and I don't think it's Sword of the Rightful King, from the plot summaries I've seen. I remember it as being a short story in an anthology, possibly something to do with heroines, though I do read a lot of misc fantasy anthologies.
I remember Merlin saying he knew disguised-Gwen was a girl because of the butter trick, it was a woman's way of thinking.
King Arthur is always hard to look up, because of all the variant spellings of names.

[Ayshe]

Irene wrote: "Could it be Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen?"

It seems to have the butter scene:

“I brought a slab of butter from the kitchen to the stone one night, well past the midnight hour, and melted the butter over a candle flame. When it was a river of gold, I poured it into the slot, and the sword... slid right out.
When I found I could not put it back properly, I left a lighter substitute, an earlier version of the sword that Merlinnus had worked on. I found it when I cleaned his wardrobe." Gawen came over and knelt before Arthur, holding up the sword to him.
...
“A trick, ” Merlinnus mused. “A homey trick that any herb wife might...”

[Davida]

that's it! the only scene I remember from that book!

[Summer]

Can't imagine why the plot summaries didn't mention the butter! Thanks, Ayshe and Irene!