A Mayan legend tells of an alliance between Uxmal, Chichén Itzá and Mayapán that was shattered when Lord Kanek, ruler of Chichén Itzá, kidnapped Princess Sac Nicte, daughter of the Lord of Mayapán, on the day of her marriage to the Prince of Uxmal. According to the ancient story, in the mayhem that followed the flight of the star-crossed lovers, Mayapán led by Hunac Ceel, attacked Chichén, the Itzá fled south, and war broke out across the peninsula as the different city states vied for power.
Mayapán did dominate the peninsula after the fall of Chichén Itzá, and several of its buildings are poor imitations of the Pyramid of Kukulcan and the Observatory. Mayapan itself is thought to have fallen around 1450.